Labyrinth II: Return to the Underground
by Mercedes Aria
Summary: An apocryphal chapter...A wish... A reunion with a Goblin King...What's a girl to do?? R&R much appreciated.
1. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

Disclaimer: Labyrinth and all related characters belong to Jim Henson  
Productions. Chapter titles and quotes are the property of the Really  
Useful Group. All non-canon characters and places contained in this  
story are exclusively the author's. Lyrics to Little Girl are the sole  
property of the author.  
  
Some of you maybe interested to know why I wrote Jareth and his history  
as I did. For those of you with the Labyrinth DVD or Making Of VHS  
cassette, I used David Bowie's description of Jareth as the foundation  
for developing his character. As a former drama student who had to do  
many a character analysis, Mr. Bowie's remarks sound suspiciously like  
he did a character analysis for Jareth. Wouldn't you like to see those  
notes, huh?  
  
Thank you for wading through the formalities. Happy reading.  
  
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Chapter 1: "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"  
  
"Sometimes it seems if I just dream, somehow you would be here..."  
  
The sound of jet engines thundered throughout the Dublin International  
  
Airport. Outside the terminal, an American Trans Air passenger plane touched down and taxied to a slow stop. A massive body of people unloaded from the airliner and made their way to their various destinations. Sixteen-year-old Sarah Williams struggled to break free from crowd, nearly tripping in the process. Once she had some space to move about more freely, she sat the   
bag she was carrying down and stood on her tiptoes to better scan the crowd. She was supposed to be meeting her aunt. Sarah had been six the last time she had seen Aurora, her mother's sister, and was worried about recognizing her. Her mother had written her and told her that she would know Aurora as soon as she saw her, but Sarah remained skeptical. Time passed and Sarah began to fear that her young aunt had forgotten her. Just as she was about to begin a search for a phone, the crowd before her suddenly seemed to part and in the center was a beautiful woman. Sarah's jaw dropped slightly. The woman looked just like a fairy-tale princess with an ethereal beauty. The woman smiled slightly and moved towards Sarah. As she got closer Sarah saw that the woman was actually a girl, not too much older than herself, who bore a striking resemblance to Disney's Ariel. And Sarah knew immedately that this was Aurora.  
  
"Sarah! Is it really you?" Aurora hugged her niece warmly. Sarah hugged her tightly in return. Memories of her childhood with Aurora came flooding back and she realized just how much she had missed her aunt.  
  
Aurora broke the hug first and stepped back from Sarah, eyeing her critically. Then she broke into a sunny grin. "You've grown-up into such a beautiful young lady! Sarah, you're stunning!"  
  
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On the third morning of her summer long stay, Sarah awoke and blinked  
  
against the sun that was pouring onto her face. She sighed dreamily and closed her eyes again. However, she didn't stay like that for long. She had a castle to explore today!  
  
Sarah had been expecting Aurora to live in one of those quaint, post card perfect Irish cottages , but instead Aurora had brought her to a bone fide castle deep in the heart of Galway. Aurora never exactly said how she came to live in Carrick Dun, other than it was a "gift" of sorts from an old friend. Sarah naturally had a million questions about someone who gave castles as gifts for no real reason, but Aurora's answers were vague and not really answers at all. Sarah had little to dwell on the gift-giver, The last two days had been a bit of a blur for Sarah filled with late-night talks with Aurora and sight- seeing throughout Galway. Sarah had discovered that her aunt was every bit the dreamer that she was and they had spent the previous afternoon and evening sharing their daydreams. During one point in the conversation, Sarah had, for some unexplainable reason, blurted out that she still carried a torch for a certain king and prattled on about her love. When she had realized what she was saying, she had blushed profusely, thinking that Aurora must have thought that she was a silly child to be talking as though the king were a real person and not just a figment of her imagination. But Aurora did not laugh; she was very serious about the matter.  
  
Sarah frowned as remembered the look on her aunt's face; it had been marred with a peculiar expression. Brushing away the thought, she slipped her feet into her slippers, slid off her white satin canopy bed, and headed down stairs.  
  
Aurora was already up and dressed. "Morning, sleepyhead," she smiled. "I was afraid that you wouldn't be up before I had to leave."  
  
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked as she buttered a piece of toast.  
  
"Into town. I've got some business that needs to be taken care of."  
  
Aurora paused to finish her coffee. "Besides I thought you might enjoy exploring the castle on your own."  
  
Sarah tried unsuccessfully to conceal her joy. "I wouldn't mind you being here, though."  
  
Aurora came over to Sarah and kissed her cheek. "Of course you wouldn't, but it's more fun to discover Carrick Dun's secrets on your own than with someone who knows them all already. Just remember what we talked about last night- everything is open to you except my room. There's nothing interesting in there anyway. I'll be home for dinner."  
  
After Aurora left, Sarah didn't eat any more breakfast. The cook, Birdie (BRY-Dee), told Sarah to get dressed and to stop by the kitchen before she took off so she could pick up a box of food in case she got hungry during her escapades.  
  
Sarah was in the west wing of the castle walking down a corridor and looking for a door to open. She turned a corner and was disappointed to find herself in the hall where Aurora's room was. She was about to go back the way she came for she had no intention of invading her aunt's privacy, when she caught a glimpse of an unusual doorknob. It appeared it be a blue crystal sphere instead of the common brass knobs of the other doors. Upon closer inspection, Sarah saw a golden "A" in it's center.  
  
This must be Aunt Rory's room, Sarah thought and turned to leave.  
  
"Open the door."  
  
"What?" Sarah whirled around to see who had spoken, but she saw no one.  
  
She began to laugh at herself. "I'm letting my imagination run a little too wild," she said to herself as she began to leave again.  
  
"Your aunt is hiding something from you." the voice, or rather the quiet echo of a voice, spoke again. "Open the door and find out what's inside."  
  
Sarah froze. There was a vague familiarity about voice, though she could not place it with a face. She turned slowly, her heart hammering in her ears. The corridor was empty. No shadows scurrying to the corners. No creaking stairs. There was nothing.  
  
Sarah's eyes locked on the door of Aurora's room.  
  
"Do you remember me, Sarah? Do you?"  
  
Mesmerized by the melodic voice, Sarah shook her head.  
  
"You don't? Pity. Why don't you open the door. I'm waiting for you. Just open the door. Please."  
  
The voice seemed so sad, so lonely, so needy.... Sarah was shocked to find her hand on the crystal knob and her aunt's warning came back to her. But she couldn't stop herself and she turned the handle to the right. It clicked and refused to budge any further. Sarah let out a sigh of relief when she found that the door was locked.  
  
"To the left, Sarah. Turn it to the left."  
  
Sarah's hand obeyed as though it was independent of the rest of her  
  
body.   
  
The door opened.  
  
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"Rory. Hey, Rory." Thomas Nolan waved his hand in front of Aurora's crystal blue eyes.  
  
"You all right, girl?" he asked when she looked up at him.  
  
She frowned. "I don't know, Tommy. I-I have the strangest feeling that something's wrong."  
  
"Wrong with what? The publishing company?"  
  
"No, no. At home. With Sarah."  
  
"Your niece, right?" he asked. She nodded.  
  
"Rory?"  
  
She looked back at him.  
  
"Go. This all can wait 'til later."  
  
Without a word, Aurora left the restaurant.  
  
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Sarah cautiously entered her aunt's room, afraid of who might be waiting for her. Once she was fully inside, the door slammed shut behind her causing her jump. Laughter flooded her ears, then  
dissipated as quickly as it came. Sarah was captivated by her aunt's room. There was a canopy bed in the center much like the one in Sarah's room, but this was draped in royal blue velvet and silk with gold trim. The furniture- dressers, tables, chairs- looked as though they could have been from the time when the castle was first built, yet somehow they look brand new.  
  
There were crystal objects all over the room. From the chandelier to the animal figurines on the mantle.  
  
In one corner was a large mirror hanging over an elaborately carved vanity. On the vanity sat an exquisite jewelry box. It was gold plated with detailed gold roses wrapped around it. As Sarah opened the box she noticed a large white feather had been placed through the slot where a lock should be. She carefully removed the feather and pushed back the lid. Music filled the room.  
  
Sarah knew she had heard the song the box played before, but she could not remember anything about the music.  
  
The box was filled with all sorts of costume jewelry that looked real. Sarah put several rings on her fingers- rings of diamond, sapphire, emerald, and amethyst. She piled bracelets on her wrists. She  
hung sapphires from her earlobes and draped necklace upon necklace around her neck. It took some time for Sarah to get a set of golden combs encrusted with garnet to hold her hair up. She grinned in delight at her reflection in the mirror. She then turned her attention to the closets.  
  
She opened the heavy oak doors and was amazed to find a wardrobe full of dress-up clothes. They were the clothes of a princess! Dresses in every color of the rainbow, ball gowns, nightgowns.  
  
"Why in the world didn't Aunt Rory want me see this stuff?" Sarah wondered aloud as she chose an emerald gown made of a velvet like material and trimmed in intricate gold embroidery.  
  
When she finished dressing she admired herself in the full-length mirror she had found on the inside of one of the wardrobe doors. All I need now is a crown. Surely Aunt Rory has one around here somewhere. Sarah caught a glimpse of something glittery on the top shelf of the wardrobe. As she felt along the shelf, her hand caught on something and sent a book flying to the floor. Sarah made a mental note to pick it up and continued her quest for the sparkling object. It turned out to be just what she wanted. With the diamond tiara nestled in her dark hair, she shut the door and was bending down to pick up the fallen book, when she saw a large chest hidden between the wall and the wardrobe.  
  
Forgetting the book, Sarah knelt next to the chest and lifted the heavy lid, resting it against the wall. Inside was a large leather-bound book with gold lettering spelling out Sketchbook on the front. Sarah opened to the first page and gasped. Her eyes widened in disbelief and the color drained from her cheeks. Memories from a year ago when she wished Toby away came roaring back.  
  
Frantically she flipped through the entire art book. Every page was filled with sketches of her king. Jareth. They were signed with her aunt's unmistakable signature. Jareth... a wave of emotion broke against her. The voice she had heard was his. The music the box played was his song. But how did her aunt know about him? Was this why she had placed her room off limits.  
  
Sarah forced herself to put the book back where it belonged and to close the chest again. She leaned heavily against the stone window and look out over the landscape. The land had a surreal look to it. There seemed to be two layers to the view. The top layer was light and bright; the other was dark and grim. Sarah knew the lower level was Jareth's realm and she desperately wanted to go back there. But she had no brother in Ireland to wish away.  
  
Sarah abruptly left the window and swept the book off the floor. As she had expected it was a copy of Labyrinth. She flipped through it looking for something... She went to the last chapter. Chapter 13. Sarah frowned. Thirteen chapters?   
  
It must be a misprint. My book only has twelve chapters.  
  
She went back through the book, slowly this time, looking for the apocryphal chapter. It didn't take long to find it. She poured over the book taking in every word, every mark of punctuation. She threw the book down when she was done. She knew how to get back to the Labyrinth. 


	2. Why Have You Brought Me Here?

Chapter 2: "Why Have You Brought Me Here?"  
  
"Don't take me back there!" "We must return!"  
  
Aurora barely got the car into park before she was out the door and racing into Carrick Dun.  
  
"Birdie!" Aurora burst into the kitchen startling the cook.  
  
"Yes, Miss Rory?"  
  
"Where's Sarah?"  
  
The panic is Aurora's eyes scared Birdie.  
  
"I-I don't know. She went off explorin'. Have seen her fer a few hours."  
  
"You didn't see her in my room, did you?"  
  
"Haven't been out of the kitchen all day? Why-"  
  
Aurora didn't stay to hear what the cook was going to say. The moment she entered the west wing, she knew that not only had Sarah gone into her room, but that she had found the book as well.  
  
With a heavy heart, Aurora turned the handle to her room to the left and walked in. The room   
was very cold and it was very obvious that someone had been going through her things.  
  
Aurora went to the window and look out briefly. She turned to the bed and saw the book lying open in the center. She stormed over to it, ripped the book off the bed.  
  
"NOOO!" she shrieked and flung the book against the wall with all her might. Angrily, she threw open the wardrobe doors and reached into the very back of it. She pulled out a plush pouch of deep purple and pulled the gold cord. She then emptied its contents into her palm. It was a large crystal sphere. Gripping it in one hand, Aurora turned towards the open window.  
  
"JARETH!" she screamed. "Come to me, NOW!  
  
The air became very still as though everything around her was holding its breath. The scene outside the window began to change. The two levels of landscape merged together, the colors bleeding into one another. Then they began to swirl; slow at first, then faster and faster,until they were spinning at a dizzying speed. The entire view turned black and came to an abrupt halt.  
  
Aurora's eyes narrowed as she locked her gaze on the cerulean blue ribbon that was weaving itself through the liquid night . The ribbon twisted and flowed, turning in on itself, looping, rippling until it  
became so large that it filled the window. The tip of the ribbon pushed itself through the window and snapped back. A brilliant light swallowed the chamber. Aurora closed her eyes against it. The light lasted for only a moment. She opened her eyes and blinked. After her eyes readjusted to their now much dimmer surrounds, she looked at the window again. The window's view was now a midnight blue that silhouetted a figure sitting on the window's ledge. Aurora swallowed, half-afraid that the image before her was a dream and half-afraid that it wasn't. The figure in the window   
slowly turned his bent head in her direction, but his face was still hidden in the shadows.  
  
"What have you done with her, Jareth!" Aurora set her jaw at a defiant angle and march over to the window.  
  
At first the figure did not even appear to be breathing, but in a flash he had leapt from the ledge and was standing in front of her.   
  
"Is that any way to greet me, Princess?" he asked.  
  
Aurora ignored his comment and reached for the light switch, but Jareth put his gloved hand over hers. Aurora's heart began to pound. Was it her imagination or could she see him grinning in the darkness.  
  
"Would it kill you to say hello to your dear old friend, Jareth?"  
  
Aurora frowned. "Hello, Jareth. I want Sarah back. Now."  
  
Jareth moved away from her. "My, my," he said as he inspected the room, "quite demanding aren't we, Princess?"  
  
Aurora moved to say more but Jareth spun back to her and stood within inches of her face. "I can't let you have her, Rory dear, because you see, Sarah chose to go back. She wished herself back to the Underground."  
  
A sound of disbelief escaped from Aurora. "I don't believe that," she spat at his blatant arrogance. "She told me what happened last year.There's no way she'd go back."  
  
Even in the dark, Aurora could see his eyes burning.   
  
"Is it really so hard for you to believe, Rory." He said her name as though it was a bitterness in his mouth. "That someone might willingly chose to come back to me?" There was a hurt underlying the sharp edge in his voice. Aurora winced.  
  
"Please, Jareth," she said, softer this time. The anger had left her voice and she sagged against the wardrobe as though she was tired.  
  
"Bring Sarah back."  
  
Jareth turned away from her and flipped on the lamp on her desk. As small as it was, the lamp's light illuminated the room.  
  
"You know fully well that I can't. Despite my power, I am bound by certain things. I shouldn't have to tell you that."  
  
Aurora let herself slump to the floor. She hung her head between her knees in defeat.  
  
Jareth instantly regretted his harshness and knelt in front of her.  
  
"Rory.."  
  
Aurora looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. As the light hit his face, she saw that Jareth was even more beautiful than she remembered him being before Sarah defeated him. After her niece had destroyed the Goblin King, Jareth had aged dramatically. He has been so thin and pale,   
so lifeless. And now... He had been restored to a brilliance beyond his former glory. A flood of memories washed over her and she let her head hang once more.  
  
"Please, Jareth," Aurora's voice came out in a croak. "Please let Sarah go. She's just a child. Please."  
  
Jareth said nothing. He took her chin in his hand and lifted her head so she would look at him. He suppressed a sigh as he studied her weary features. The once vibrant redhead with the mischievous sparkle in her moody blue eyes was gone. In her place was a near lifeless drone. All her color was faded, only a memory of what she was. It pained him to hear her call him and demanded Sarah back. Her words lacked power; the fire and passion from them were gone.  
  
Absent-mindedly, he wove a lock of her long hair between his fingers. "Look at what this world has done to you," he murmured. His gaze was distant, looking at something she could not see. She moved slightly and he stood up quickly and turned away.  
  
"I've told you, Rory," he said as he gracefully leaned against her bedpost and crossed his arms over his chest. Aurora caught a glimpse of the familiar pendant that glimmered in the folds of his navy blue shirt.  
  
"Sarah wished herself back. I cannot return what I did not take."  
  
Aurora dug her fingers into her scalp. He mind frantically sought for any knowledge of Jareth's world that was hidden in the recesses of her memory that might help her retrieve her niece. She looked up at Jareth in time to see a sly smile slither over his lips. Immediately, she was transported to another time and place- a forgotten past; a lost childhood.  
  
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Aurora looked uneasily at a laughing Jareth. The sun made his blond hair shimmer and sparkle in its light.  
  
"Come on, Rory," he beckoned, "You want to come to the Underground with me, don't you?"  
  
The fourteen-year-old Aurora nodded, suddenly shy; her adventurous spirit had fled her leaving only doubt and fear behind. She took a step away from the edge of the Haunting Woods- the entrance to the Underground.  
  
Jareth was growing impatient with her indecision. Slowly a sly, wicked smile came to his elfin features. He took several large steps away from her and into the Woods. His demeanor changed and he looked heartbroken.   
  
"Oh, Rory," he said so mournfully that she nearly ran to him then. "If you don't come through the Haunting Woods, we can never play make- believe together again. I won't be able to visit you anymore if you don't go with me. It's the only way to my kingdom."  
  
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Jareth's voice jolted Aurora back to her bedroom in Carrick Dunn.  
  
"There is one way you could possibly get Sarah back," he was saying. He  
  
paused and glanced at her from the corner of his eye, making sure he had  
  
her attention. He shrugged. "But you wouldn't be interested in my proposal."  
  
Aurora pulled herself from the floor and faced him. How long had it been  
  
since his last visit? A week? Two weeks? A month? A year? More?  
  
"What's your proposal, Jareth?" She took the bait, knowing he had  
  
something up his sleeve.  
  
Jareth walked over to the window and looked out. The landscape had  
  
returned to its split-level view.  
  
"You go get her yourself."  
  
Aurora laughed. So that was it. He wanted her to go back.  
  
"I have no intention of going back, Jareth. We've been over this."  
  
Jareth beckoned her over to him and took her by the shoulders. He turned  
  
her so that she was looking out of the window.  
  
"Can't you hear it calling you, Rory," he whispered in her ear. "It's  
  
been calling you since the moment you came here."  
  
Aurora knew Jareth was messing with her head, but he spoke the truth  
  
nonetheless. Homesickness washed over her.  
  
Aurora turned to challenge him but could not find the strength to do so.  
  
The hope in his eyes squashed any angry remark she was going to make.  
  
"Come back with me, Rory," he said. "We'll find Sarah together and bring  
  
her back."  
  
Without thinking, Aurora reached out and pushed a stray lock of hair out  
  
of his eyes and he caught her hand.Time froze. Aurora blushed and pulled  
  
away. Jareth sprang lightly to the window ledge.  
  
"You can come or stay," he said with a shrug of indifference.  
  
Aurora couldn't argue. Had she really changed as Jareth said she had.  
  
She shook the thought away, reminding herself that Jareth was playing a  
  
mind game. Unfortunately, she had to concede that Jareth was right: she  
  
was going to have to go after Sarah.  
  
"All right, Jareth," she sighed in resignation. "I'll go."  
  
A peculiar expression of triumph and delight crossed his face. Aurora  
  
could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was up to something, but she  
  
didn't care. She took the hand he offered to her and stood on the ledge  
  
with him, gazing out at the world she often dreamed of. Lightening  
  
flashed in the distance. Jareth took a step out of the window. A crystal  
  
step appeared under his foot. Aurora remained rooted to the ledge. Her  
  
eyes were wide with uncertainty as she peered down at a ground that was  
  
not visible.  
  
This garnered a bemused smirk from Jareth. He pulled her up beside him  
  
and the step extended so that they could both comfortably stand on it.  
  
"Come now, Rory," he winked at her. "Surely you're not frightened by a  
  
little bit of height?"  
  
Aurora forced her gaze away from the space below them. Jareth took  
  
another step up and she quickly scrambled after him. Step after step  
  
they climbed into the hazy pink atmosphere, the steps becoming further  
  
and further apart from each other. While they presented no problem to  
  
Jareth, Aurora struggled to continue. On one step she stopped, unable to  
  
go on.  
  
"Jareth," she called breathless.  
  
Jareth looked back at her.  
  
"You can do it, Rory," he coaxed. "Come on, you've done this before."  
  
Aurora looked at the step he was on and shook her head. "I can't. It's  
  
too far."  
  
Jareth couldn't understand her hesitation or fear. He extended his hand  
  
to her.  
  
"Come on, Rory. Take my hand and jump."  
  
She shook her again. "I can't."  
  
"Take my hand," he urged. "I won't let you go."  
  
"Come on, Rory," Jareth stood across a wide gully in the Plain of  
  
Endless Day. "Jump. Jump. You can do it."  
  
Aurora stared wide-eyed at the raging water below. "What if I fall?"  
  
Jareth smiled reassuringly. "You won't. I'll catch you.I won't let you  
  
go. Run and jump. You can do it!"  
  
Aurora locked her eyes onto him. If Jareth believe she could then....  
  
She took a running start and jumped....  
  
"You can do this." Jareth stretched his hand out further. Aurora focused  
  
in on him and, gathering her courage, jumped. She landed awkwardly.  
  
Jareth tried to grab her but she panicked and he lost his grip. Her foot  
  
slipped off the step and she fell into the darkness below.  
  
Aurora closed her eyes and tucked as much of her body underneath her as  
  
she could. She fell in silence as she was not prone to screaming. There  
  
was little time to contemplate where she would land for her fall was  
  
abruptly broken by something. For a moment she did not move. When she  
  
realized that she wasn't in any pain, she slowly opened her eyes and  
  
found herself looking up at Jareth, who quickly hid his concern behind a  
  
cocky grin.  
  
Aurora closed her eyes and sagged against him.  
  
"You thought I was going to let you fall, didn't you?" There was a  
  
sliver of hurt in his voice. She said nothing. Jareth wrinkled his  
  
nose in puzzlement. "You did think I was going to let you fall. Rory,  
  
you know me better than that!"  
  
He set her down and Aurora wobbly stood on her own.  
  
"Welcome home," he said quietly.  
  
Aurora looked at her surroundings. Was this real? Was she really here?  
  
It was only then that she realized how much she missed this world.  
  
She looked to Jareth. "Where's Sarah?"  
  
Jareth's face fell. "We've been over this, Rory," he said flatly. "I  
  
don't know, I didn't bring her here."  
  
Aurora put her hands on her hips and gesture that Jareth knew well. He  
  
could see that she was beginning to regain some of her passionate self.  
  
A corner of his mouth turned up.  
  
"You may not have brought her here, but you know where she is."  
  
Jareth shrugged. "Maybe I did. But then you pulled me into that  
  
miserable place you call 'home'."  
  
Aurora gritted her teeth in frustration. She looked over her shoulder at  
  
the Labyrinth behind her. She looked back to find Jareth gazing steadily  
  
at her. She squirmed.  
  
"What are you staring at?"  
  
"You..." Her rather sudden transformation mesmerized him. She was alive  
  
again, vibrant and beautiful. He had always known that if she would just  
  
come back, the Aurora he knew would return.  
  
"Jareth, don't..." She pushed her fiery hair out of her face and looked  
  
away from him. Once again she took in the rust-colored world around her.  
  
Sarah could be anywhere and not necessarily in the Underground. The  
  
chance of locating her niece seemed bleak, but the challenge invigorated  
  
her- a feeling she had not had in a long time. The chains of  
  
indifference and apathy had fallen off and she felt oddly free.  
  
Jareth's conceited grin was back in place and he smirked at her. "Where  
  
are you going to begin, love?" His mismatched eyes danced gleefully.  
  
"Sarah could be anywhere." While he was not a mind reader, Jareth knew  
  
the redhead well enough to echo her earlier thought.  
  
"Where was she last?"  
  
He almost answered her, but caught himself and chuckled. "Nice try,  
  
Rory." He circled her slowly, hands clasped behind his back. "But I'm  
  
not going to make this easy for you."  
  
Aurora feigned surprise. "Make what easy?"  
  
Jareth's grinned widened. His worthy opponents was back.  
  
"I know you, Rory. You thought you'd get me to tell you where Sarah was  
  
to give you a place to begin so that you can whisk her away to your  
  
dreary little realm. Am I right?"  
  
It was Aurora's turn to shrug. "Perhaps." She paused as the desire to  
  
challenge him grew strong. "Would you like for me to go through the  
  
Labyrinth? I make it and you tell me where she last was."  
  
Jareth laughed.  
  
"I'm not asking for thirteen hours. Let me have three."  
  
This made Jareth laugh so hard that tears came to his eyes. He quickly  
  
regained his composure but his eyes still dance in amusement.  
  
"Do you really think I would agree to something so foolish?" he asked  
  
raising an eyebrow. "I know you, Rory, and I know you could solve the  
  
Labyrinth in three seconds. No, that's far too easy."  
  
"Fine," she replied. "We'll play for Sarah on your terms. What do you  
  
want me to do?"  
  
He began to say something then stopped. He paused in front of her and  
  
contemplated her question.  
  
"I'll not only tell you where I last saw her," he said slowly. "I'll  
  
help you find her and convince her to go back."  
  
Aurora dropped her hands from her hips. She regarded him suspiciously.  
  
"What's the catch?"  
  
"Nothing much," his voice was as smooth as glass. "Sarah can go, but you  
  
have to say."  
  
Aurora shook her head firmly and set her jaw at a defiant angle. "No. We  
  
both go."  
  
Something flashed in Jareth's eyes, but she couldn't tell what it was.  
  
He seemed angry.  
  
"Fine," he ground out. "Have it your way, you stubborn little sprite. It  
  
won't be easy for you, though. Good luck."  
  
With that, Jareth stepped back from her and faded away, leaving Aurora  
  
alone in the Underground. 


	3. World of Unending Night

Chapter 3: "World of Unending Night"   
  
"I've been there to his world of unending night. To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness."  
  
An unfriendly wind blew around Aurora, tugging at her hair and clothes.  
  
It hissed in her ears as she tried to shield herself from it. The  
  
desolate expanse of the portion of the Underground she was in was  
  
disheartening. Rust-hued plains extended seemingly forever in every  
  
direction. Dust swirled around her ankles mischievously and deposited  
  
its color onto her blue and white running shoes and blue jeans. Aurora  
  
sighed and began to follow the outer retaining wall of the Labyrinth,  
  
trying to decided where to begin her search. Entering the Labyrinth, she  
  
knew, was pointless. Unless Sarah's thinking was so clouded that she  
  
wandered back into the maze, she wouldn't be there. If Sarah was in the  
  
Underground, Aurora suspected that she would be on the opposite side of  
  
the Labyrinth, near the Plain of Endless Day. Her gaze wandered to the  
  
horizon where the lights from the Crystal Kingdom caught her eye. Her  
  
stomach flip-flopped as she looked at the glittering citadel nestled  
  
snugly in the Mountain of a Thousand Caves. An unpleasant thought  
  
crossed her mind. Sarah did not know about the existence of the Crystal  
  
Kingdom, but what if Jareth had told her about it. Any girl who ever  
  
read a fairy tale would want to go there; Sarah would be no exception.  
  
The thought of having to return to the Kingdom made her physically ill  
  
and Aurora had to stop. Would Jareth really be so cruel as to do that?  
  
She put her hand on the wall of the Labyrinth for support. He was angry  
  
with her and so it was possible. She once knew him well enough to  
  
predict his moves but that was a very long time ago. Or was it? It  
  
didn't matter what the passage of time was. She no longer knew what to  
  
expect from him. She pulled herself together and continued on.  
  
Eventually she would come across a Dweller, an inhabitant of the  
  
Underground, of an Undergroundling, a child or creature of the  
  
Underground, that might be of some help. Then again creature  
  
Undergroundlings weren't known for being terribly bright. More  
  
vegetation began to appear as Aurora approached the Far Side of the  
  
Labyrinth, and with it life. She heard a chirping coming from one of the  
  
nearby trees and wandered over to inspect it. As she expected, the  
  
melody was coming from a tiny- rat-like creature with powerful hind  
  
legs- a Rang- tang. Because of the Rang-tang's ability to match its fur  
  
to its surroundings, Aurora could only tell its location by the minute  
  
purple claws that stood out on the slate gray Skaggle tree.   
  
"Excuse me,"  
  
Aurora said politely. The song stopped.   
  
"Yes?" replied a shrill voice.  
  
"Could you kindly help me, please?"  
  
"Dunno. Maybe."  
  
"I'm looking for someone," she said in a little girls voice.  
  
"Who?"   
  
"A Rang-tang called Kemper."   
  
"Rory?" the creature asked incredulously. It turned royal purple and twitched its tiny green whiskers.   
  
"It's me, Kemp," Aurora confirmed in her normal voice. Kemper let out an impossibly high-pitched  
  
whistle.  
  
"Well, well, well," he spoke in the typical rapid-fire, Rang-tang way. "Jareth finally brought ya home! I neva thought he would."   
  
"He didn't," she looked away. "My niece is here and as soon as I find her, I'm leaving."  
  
"Oh," Kemper was silent. "Need help lookin' forher?"   
  
Aurora nodded. "Have you heard of anything unusual going on?"  
  
Kemper thought about this for a moment and puffed out his cheeks as  
  
Rang- tangs do when they're thinking. "No, can't say I have," he said  
  
finally. "Though there was a commotion with the Ne-Ne Whals this  
  
morning'.  
  
" Aurora wiggled her nose. The sun rising could cause a  
  
commotion with the Ne- Ne Whals, but it was a starting point.   
  
"Thanks, Kemp," she turned to go and felt a light thump on her shoulder.   
  
"Mind if I go with?" Kemper asked perching on her shoulder.   
  
Aurora grinned. "Nope. I could do with some company."   
  
The Ne-Ne Whals lived in their own community nestled within the Dream Hills. The gray and white hyperactive balls of fur with gleaming red eyes where not very sociable creatures and it was normally hard to find any of them outside their burrows, making the Dreams Hills a peculiar place for them to live. The Hills were usually filled with people and creatures who were attracted by  
their surreal beauty and fell asleep there.   
  
The Ne-Ne Whals were out in droves which surprised both Aurora and Kemper.  
  
"...picked me up she did, the oversized goblin. Picked ME UP!" one of the creatures was shrieking  
as the two drew near. He was jumping all over the place not caring what or who he bounced off of.  
  
Kemper scratched his head. "I dun get it," he said, his face marred with confusion. "They were going on about this earlier. Why are they still on it?"   
  
Aurora frowned. "I don't know. But it is odd that they should carry on for so long. It's not like them."  
  
Kemper leaped easily down from her shoulder to the ground and hopped  
  
over the upset bunch. Aurora stayed out of sight, knowing that the  
  
rang-tang's presence would be more welcomed than her own.  
  
It took Kemper a good while to calm the Ne-Ne Whals down enough to talk to them. Once  
  
he did, they were eager to recount their tale. Kemper came back to Aurora and balanced on her knee. He twitched his nose and sat back on his haunches.   
  
"This is what I could get outta them," he said with a flick of his bushy tail. "Some girl came through this morning and fell asleep in the Hills. She woke up just as the Ne-Ne's were coming up to  
eat. She saw them, went all girlie, and picked one up. Well, you know how they hate to be picked up. It bit her and she left."   
  
Aurora wrinkled her nose. "That's it?"   
  
Kemper shrugged. "Yeah, that's it. Sound like your niece?"   
  
"Sounds like it could be. Did they know where she went?"  
  
"One said she headed for the Gardens of Forgetfulness, another said the Labyrinth. Then the others said she went somewhere else. None of them could agree on anything."   
  
"Great," Aurora sighed. "We're back where we started."   
  
Kemper jumped to her shoulder. "We could head over to the Gardens of Forgetfulness. Lot's of humans tend to wander over there after they visit the Dream Hills."  
  
Aurora stood up and brushed off her jeans. "Might as well."  
  
Jareth watched Aurora and Kemper from the Dream Hills through narrowed  
  
eyes. He knew that Aurora could easily find Sarah if he didn't intervene. He smiled to himself in that sly way, plotting his next move.  
  
He moved on from the Dream Hills and disappeared into the landscape.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
To get to the Gardens of Forgetfulness the duo had to go through the Forest  
  
On the Edge Of Forever. Aurora remembered the days she used to spend in  
  
the Forest. It was a beautiful place: Tall slender Flarrow Trees  
  
extended their delicate branches to sky. They were very different from  
  
the squat, dingy Skaggle trees that dotted the Plains of the  
  
Underground. Flarrow trees were a light lavender color with smooth  
  
glossy bark and velvety heart-shaped leaves of pastel blue and yellow. A  
  
thin pink mist always lingered around the bass of the Trees where dainty  
  
green shoots and tiny Faerie Flowers grew.   
  
She paused at one of the Trees and ran her fingertips over the carving in its trunk. Her eyes  
  
filled with memories and lost dreams. She quickly moved on as Kemper  
  
caught a glimpse of the writing on the tree. He nuzzled Aurora's cheek  
  
gently and remained quiet.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Sarah wandered into the Forest On the Edge of Forever and, because of the Forests size and the nature of the Underground, she never saw nor ran into her aunt. Dreamily, Sarah made her way through the Forest despite her forefinger persistently throbbing in pain.   
  
"How beautiful this place is," she said out loud and smiled to herself. "And how perfect a place to meet Jareth in." She blushed as she thought about him. She had to admit that she was disappointed that she had yet to see the Goblin King. "What if he doesn't know I'm here? she cried, suddenly panicked. She was tempted to run to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City and announce her presence, but the Forest was so beautiful that she didn't wish to rush through it. "Besides", she reasoned to herself, "I don't want to go through the Labyrinth again and it would be much more romantic for Jareth to find me." Once again she blushed at the thought of the Goblin King. How foolish she had been a year ago. Sarah sighed and wandered on.   
  
At one of the Flarrow Trees she stopped and inspected it. There was an elaborate design carved into the trunk. In the center of the design were the elegant letters M A J. Maj? she peered curiously at the word. What on earth is Maj? Sarah forgot the letters for they meant nothing to her and forgot the carving as well. She decided to cut through the Forest because a garden in the distance caught her attention.   
  
A pair of golden eyes watched Sarah as she ventured off the path that wound through the Forest on the Edge of Forever. They had heard all that Sarah had said and they burned with jealousy. The eyes followed Sarah out of the Forest. 


	4. Leave All Thoughts Of The World

Chapter 4: "Leave All Thoughts Of The World You Knew Before"  
  
Sarah meandered through a small garden she had found, blissfully unaware  
  
of what had transpired between her aunt and Jareth. In fact, there were  
  
no thoughts in her head of Aurora for she was actually wandering in the  
  
Gardens of Forgetfulness.  
  
In the shadows, the golden eyes watched Sarah turn in a slow  
  
circle that caused her dress to billow out around her in a soft cloud of  
  
material. The eyes smirked at her childishness as a superior look  
  
settled in them. Sarah stopped her spin and looked straight into the  
  
peculiar eyes staring at her. Her reaction was slowed due in part to the  
  
Gardens effect on her. Her mouth hung open and her feet rooted  
  
themselves to the earth she stood upon and would not move.  
  
In a very small, child-like voice she managed to stammer, "Who's  
  
there?"  
  
The eyes disappeared briefly. They reappeared along with the face to  
  
which they belonged. Surrounding those eyes were thick black lashes  
  
perfectly curled and kept. Black eyebrows were expertly arched, thin and  
  
long. The eye lids were silvery and a black shadow extended upwards from  
  
the corner of the eyes almost meeting the eyebrows. Sarah forced herself  
  
to focus on the rest of the face before those eyes swallowed her whole.  
  
The face was very pretty, round, nicely tanned, and elfin in appearance  
  
And young. The girl before her could not have been much older than Sarah  
  
herself.  
  
Sarah relaxed slightly once she realized that the person who had been  
  
watching her was someone her own age. She extended her hand and said  
  
brightly, "Hi, I'm Sarah." She hoped that this girl would be a new friend.  
  
The girl obviously did not share Sarah's desire. "I know you who are,"  
  
she said shortly in a sultry voice.  
  
Sarah faltered. The girl sounded almost angry with her. What did I do?  
  
she wondered.Had they met before? She studied the girl more closely.  
  
The girl really was beautiful in an almost an other-worldly sort of way.  
  
Her long ebony curls fell wild and free down to her small waist. She had  
  
a gorgeous figure and yet was very thin at the same time. Her clothes  
  
were peculiar. She appeared to be wearing a dress made out of a shiny  
  
red material that fell several inches above her knees in front and  
  
several inches below in the back. The front laced up over a silvery  
  
undershirt and yet tied halter-style around her neck. Black leggings  
  
merged into black high-heeled boots tied with silver strings. Around her  
  
neck hung a silver and gold pendant. Sarah squinted at it; it looked so  
  
familiar but she couldn't figure out why. And that wasn't the only thing  
  
familiar about the girl. Her arrogant expression of superiority and smug  
  
confidence was strongly reminiscent of someone else she knew.  
  
"How do you know who I am?" she asked finally.  
  
The girl tossed her curls over her shoulders and circled Sarah  
  
menacingly. "What difference does it make, Sarah? "  
  
Sarah couldn't make sense of the girl's attitude. "I don't remember you  
  
and obviously we've met-"  
  
"We've never met," the girl sneered. "Too bad for you that we did."  
  
Sarah gaped at her in surprise, afraid for the first time. The girl  
  
advanced on her grinning wickedly. Where had Sarah seen that smile before?  
  
"That's enough, Morighana," a new voice commanded suddenly. The girl  
  
whirled around to face Jareth who had sauntered from the woods she had  
  
watched Sarah from.  
  
"Aw, I didn't do anything to her," Morighana pushed her bottom lip out  
  
in a pout. Sarah was surprised that her voice had a gentle lilt and a  
  
child-like quality to it. "I was just playing with her."  
  
Jareth smiled to himself and held his black-gloved hand out to her.  
  
Morighana ran to him and took his hand. He gave Sarah a sideways glance.  
  
Putting his arm around the raven-haired girl, he walked over closer to  
  
Sarah.  
  
She's a little young to be his girlfriend, she thought, a flame of  
  
jealousy beginning to burn within her. When she looked at them together,  
  
she saw how much they looked alike.  
  
Morighana saw the expression on Sarah's face. She wrapped both arms  
  
around Jareth and hugged him close, carefully watching Sarah's reaction.  
  
She grinned when she saw jealousy blaze in her rival's eyes. Jareth  
  
frowned at Morighana, but inside he was laughing. That's my girl, he  
  
thought proudly. He knew what she was doing. If it hadn't been for  
  
Aurora's presence, he would have allowed Morighana do what she wished  
  
with Sarah. But such wasn't the case.  
  
Jareth smirked at Sarah, his expression the exact mirror of Morighana's.  
  
Sarah shuddered inwardly.  
  
He teased her a bit by kissing the top of Morighana's head before he  
  
said, "I see you've met my niece, Morighana."  
  
Morighana pulled away from him, upset that he had ruined her game. At  
  
the same time relief washed over Sarah.  
  
"Your niece?"  
  
"That's what he said, isn't it?" Morighana said nastily. A swift, firm  
  
swat popped her behind. She glared up at Jareth. "What was that for?"  
  
"Be nice." He turned to Sarah. "Yes, my niece who is about to leave."  
  
Morighana opened her mouth, but Jareth silenced her with a look. She  
  
shut her mouth and they engaged in a private argument with their eyes.  
  
Jareth won. Morighana turned from him sulking.  
  
"Mori."  
  
She turned back to her uncle who whispered something in her ear. The  
  
grin that lit up her face and the "I-know-something-you-don't-know" look  
  
she gave Sarah, squashed Sarah's feeling of triumph over Jareth  
  
reprimanding the girl.  
  
Morighana kissed her uncle before running back into the woods.  
  
Sarah's heart began to pound as Jareth turned back to her with a  
  
secretive little smile on his lips as though he were laughing at a  
  
private joke.  
  
"How do you like my kingdom so far?" he asked, looking at her in such a  
  
way that she blushed and turned her head away.  
  
"You didn't see this part of the Underground on you last visit." Her  
  
reaction amused him and he continued on. "There are many place you have  
  
yet to see, my dear."  
  
Sarah found it within herself to look back at him though she could not  
  
bring her eyes to meet his.  
  
"It' very beautiful," she replied shyly. "I didn't know anything existed  
  
outside the Labyrinth."  
  
Jareth's smile became more secretive. "Many things exist outside the  
  
Labyrinth," he told her. "Many things exist outside the Underground.  
  
Many kingdoms surround us."  
  
He glanced in the direction of the Crystal Kingdom and made a note of  
  
it. His smile darkened slightly. He might just make use of the place in  
  
the future.  
  
Sarah's curiosity had been piqued. "There are?" she asked in wonder.  
  
Jareth nodded. "The world the Underground and the kingdoms around it are  
  
in is called Sominus."  
  
"Sominus?" Sarah repeated.  
  
"Sominus." He tilted his head to the side in a manner that Sarah found  
  
charming. "It means dream."  
  
The sly smile of a serpent returned to his face. "Perhaps you'd like me  
  
to show you around?"  
  
He reached out and ran a gloved finger under her chin. Her cheeks  
  
flushed crimson and she nodded dumbly.  
  
Jareth's eyes danced in amusement then they filled with misery.  
  
"Oh, Sarah," his voice was barely above a whisper. "It took me so long  
  
to recover from your leaving me."  
  
Sarah met his hypnotic gaze. Cloudy thoughts drifted through her head  
  
and she vaguely wonder if this was real or if she was dreaming it all  
  
back on those beautiful hills she had been in earlier.  
  
Jareth went on. "You can't imagine how it hurt me that you continually  
  
called those creatures back to visit you."  
  
He turned his head from her but not before she caught a glimpse of the  
  
wetness that shimmered in his eyes. "You never once tried to find out  
  
what happened to me."  
  
Without thinking, Sarah put out her hand to cradle his face.  
  
"But I wondered about you all the time," she said, feeling suddenly  
  
older. Oddly enough, she couldn't remember her first visit to the  
  
Underground or what caused her brave the Labyrinth.  
  
Jareth looked at her again with a new expression in his eyes. But what  
  
is was she neither knew nor cared because he placed his hand over hers.  
  
Morighana had lingered in the Forest on the Edge of Forever watching  
  
Jareth and Sarah. She was slightly hurt that her uncle had yet to let  
  
her in on the game he was playing with the girl. She ground her teeth in  
  
disgust at the lovesick look in Sarah's eyes as she gazed at Jareth. Her  
  
eyes flared as it appeared her uncle was actually returning Sarah's  
  
affection until she realized what he must be up to. Morighana snickered.  
  
Jareth was stalling to keep Sarah in the Gardens of Forgetfulness so  
  
that they would eventually erase her memory of everything except what he  
  
wanted her to remember.  
  
Her eyes sparkled gleefully. "She's not too smart is she, Ribito?" she  
  
smirked quietly to the tiger next to her. The tiger's fiery coat seemed  
  
to shoot off sparks as she locked her violet eyes onto Sarah, her  
  
stomach reminding her that she had not yet eaten. Morighana ran her hand  
  
over the glossy coat.  
  
Suddenly, her face became angry. "What's he doing?!" she cried as she  
  
watched Jareth take Sarah's hand and lead her out of the Gardens. "She's  
  
not been there long enough!"  
  
The raven-haired girl growled in frustration. Her eyes narrowed in  
  
hatred as she glared daggers at Sarah. "Have fun while you can, Sarah  
  
dear," she whispered maliciously. "It won't last long."  
  
Ribito looked up at her mistress with fire in her eyes. She could see  
  
that Morighana was plotting something devious and she couldn't wait to  
  
find out what it was.  
  
Aurora and Kemper neared the edge of the Forest and the trees parted in  
  
front of them to reveal a small clearing from which several paths  
  
branched out.  
  
The rang-tang stiffened and swished his tail wildly.  
  
"What's wrong?" Aurora asked, alarmed. Her skin tingled as though they  
  
were being watched.  
  
The tall grass surrounding the clearing began to rustle. Aurora had no  
  
time to react as something with the speed of a bullet burst out of the  
  
grass and barreled into her, knocking her to the ground. Her head struck  
  
a clump of moss somewhat softening the impact. A heavy weight sat on her  
  
chest and stomach as though someone was kneeling on her.  
  
She opened her eyes gradually and found herself looking up into a pair  
  
of grinning gold eyes. Black ringlets hung down into her face. Aurora  
  
stared in disbelief.  
  
"Morighana?" 


	5. Only Then You Can Belong To Me Part 1

Chapter 5: "Only Then Can You Belong To Me  
  
"Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world! Leave all  
  
thoughts of the world you knew before! Let your soul take you where you  
  
long to be! Only then can you belong to me..."  
  
Never in her wildest dreams had Sarah imagined a place so magical.  
  
Jareth had explained to her that they were on the Far Side of the  
  
Labyrinth, the part of the Underground that was hidden from human eyes.  
  
They walked on a sand-colored cobblestone path past enchanted garden  
  
after enchanted garden that lined one side of the path while young  
  
vibrant trees lined the other. Every so often an Undergroundling  
  
creature would scurry in front of them, disappearing before Sarah could  
  
get a good look at it.  
  
Jareth didn't bother to surpress his pride in the Far Side nor his  
  
delight in Sarah's astonishment.  
  
"I never thought of the Underground as beautiful," she breathed, trying  
  
to remember every detail of the world around her.  
  
"As I've told you in the past, nothing is what it seems." Jareth threw  
  
her an annoyed glance. "Do close your mouth. It's not very becoming to  
  
gape."  
  
Sarah's jaw immediately snapped shut.  
  
"I don't understand why the other part of the Underground was so ugly?"  
  
"What you first saw," he huffed, sounding offended, "was the Plains of  
  
the Underground. It's unattractive for a reason- to keep visitors away."  
  
"Does it work?"  
  
"You didn't find it very appealing, did you?"  
  
"No. I guess it does work," she mumbled.  
  
They walked arm in arm down the path, the Goblin King and the girl. One  
  
of the gardens, caught Sarah's attention and she stopped in front of it.  
  
It was just like all the others: a high wall made of the same  
  
cobblestone of the path surrounf it. There was no door, only a gap in  
  
the wall.  
  
Jareth allowed her to view the garden. As he expected, she gasped when  
  
she saw the toy-strewn yard. A huge playground took centerplace in the  
  
garden. To the left and right of it, were huge Dogmore trees with their  
  
large branches reaching low to the ground. They were perfect climbing  
  
trees. From each branch hung a swing and a tire. But the biggest  
  
surprise were the children who ran about the yard, shreiking in glee.  
  
The children were from all races and nationalities, ranging in age from  
  
barely a year old to eight- years-old. Watching over them were several  
  
women and girl dwarves.  
  
Sarah turned to Jareth, eyes wide and jaw unhinged again.  
  
Jareth smiled and walked past her, even though he knew her unspoken  
  
question. He looked over his shoulder and motioned for her to follow him  
  
into the garden.  
  
Sarah obeyed and found herself standing alone on the walkway for Jareth  
  
had strolled over to one of the Dogmore trees where a little Asian girl,  
  
who couldn't have been yet two, was sitting all alone. Her dark eyes lit  
  
up when she saw the Goblin King. Sarah was overwhelmed as she watched  
  
the baby hold out her arms wanting him to pick her up. The scene  
  
completely destroyed what she thought she knew about Jareth. Children  
  
were suppose to fear him. Not...love him?  
  
Jareth knelt down to the little girl and took her hands between his  
  
thumbs and forefingers. She wrinkled her nose in the most adorable  
  
manner and grinned at him. Jareth laughed and so did she. She removed a  
  
hand from his and "blew" him a kiss by putting her palm against her  
  
tongue and then flinging her hand away. Jareth's smile widened as he  
  
"caught" the kiss and held it close it his heart. The baby clapped her  
  
hands and insisted on being picked up. He obliged her, lifting her fast  
  
and high. She giggled wildly. She put her little arms as far around his  
  
neck as they would go and began chattering away to him in toddler talk.  
  
Though is sounded like gibberish to Sarah, Jareth appeared to understand  
  
her perfectly.  
  
He came back over to where Sarah was standing, dumb-founded, and turned  
  
the child to face her.  
  
"Sarah," he said grandly. "I would like for you to meet Mae."  
  
Sarah stumbled for words and eventually got out, "Who are these kids?"  
  
Jareth brushed Mae's straight, black bangs back from her round face.  
  
"They are the Wished-Aways," he explained while Mae played with the  
  
pendant around his neck. "The children who were wished away by their  
  
siblings." he hesitated and Sarah saw sadness in his eyes. "More  
  
precisely these are the Unwanted Wished-Aways: the ones whose selfish  
  
siblings refused to attempt the Labyrinth to get them back."  
  
Sarah had no response to that, only a question. "What will happen to them?"  
  
"Nothing," he replied with a shrug. "If they are not claimed within one  
  
moon, they remain here forever."  
  
"But where do they live?" Sarah could see nothing that resembled a  
  
respectable home for a child.  
  
"Over there." Jareth pointed to the segment of the path that wandered  
  
off to the right and ended at the tree that Mae had been sitting under.  
  
Sarah did a double take. There, where before there had been nothing but  
  
trees, was a village of child-sized cottages that looked like  
  
playhouses. They varied in shape and color, each unqiuely made for its  
  
owner.  
  
Her mouth still hung slightly open as she turned back to Jareth.  
  
"I didn't know they stayed in a place like this! I always thought-" she  
  
looked away and blushed, this time from embarassment.  
  
"You always thought I kept them prisoner, tormented them, and turned  
  
them into goblins after thirteen hours. Correct?" The was a note of  
  
disgust in his voice.  
  
Sarah quickly looked at him again, her eyes filling with sorrow over her  
  
misjudgement of him. "I'm so sorry, Jareth," she gushed taking hold of  
  
his jacket sleeve. "I didn't know."  
  
Jareth nodded his head ever so slightly as though to concede that she  
  
really might be so ignorant. He walked away from her and over to a young  
  
dwarf girl and handed Mae to her. Mae's face crumpled up as soon as she  
  
realized Jareth was no longer holding her. She reached out her chubby  
  
baby hands to him and the expression on her face was one that demanded  
  
that he take her with him.  
  
Sarah watched him kneel in front of Mae again, trying to calm her down.  
  
Her heart filled with tenderness toward the Goblin King, who was not the  
  
villian and never had been. There was still so much about Jareth she did  
  
not understand; he seemed to be so full of contradictions- arrogant and  
  
cruel one moment; kind and loving the next. But Sarah knew deep down he  
  
was good. That couldn't be an illusion of the Underground.  
  
Jareth's back was to Sarah and so she could not him take Mae's hand in  
  
his nor Mae's despair at his leaving her. Neither could she hear him  
  
promise the child that he would return for her soon. When he stood up  
  
and faced Sarah again, the arrogant, aloof Goblin King was back. Not  
  
even Sarah in her infatuation with him, would have believed that he was  
  
the same Jareth who personally raised Mae and two other Wish-Aways in  
  
his castle as though they were a prince and two princesses.  
  
With the secretive smile lazily stretched across his handsome features,  
  
Jareth slipped his arm around Sarah's waist and led her back to the path  
  
from which they had strayed.  
  
Morighana helped Aurora to her feet and giggled at Kemper who was still  
  
a bit dazed.  
  
"Miss me?" she asked Aurora who was dusting off her jeans for the second  
  
time that day.  
  
Aurora laughed and ran a hand through her hair. "Of course I have, Mori!  
  
Things are so dull without you."  
  
Morighana skipped over to her and hugged her. "I've missed you an awful  
  
lot, Rory. I thought you'd forgotten us."  
  
Guilt crept into Aurora's heart. "Of course not, angel," she said  
  
softly, running her fingers through Morighana's curls. "I could never  
  
forget you."  
  
Morighana looked up at her, her golden eyes reflected the hurt and  
  
betrayal she felt. "You never really loved us did you?" she asked suddenly. 


	6. Forsaken

"The Forsaken"   
  
Come, dear neice, let us away;   
Down and away below!   
Now my brothers call from the bay;   
Now my sisters wait on the banks of the river low;   
Now the great winds shoreward blow;   
Now the wild, rusty sprites play,   
Champ and tumble and toss in the rays.   
Neice dear, let us away.   
This way, this way!   
  
Call her once before you go-   
Call once yet!   
In a voice that she will know:   
"Aurora! Aurora!"   
A child's voice should be dear   
(Call once more) even to an aunt's ear;   
A child's voice, wild with pain-   
Surely she will come again!   
Call her once and come away.   
This way, this way!   
"Auntie dear, we cannot stay!   
The wild, rusty sprites murmur and fret."   
Aurora! Aurora!   
  
Niece dear, was it yesterday   
We heard the sweet bells by the bay?   
In the castle where we lay,   
Through the sky and through the portals,   
The far-off silver bells of mortals?   
Ivy-covered castle, dark and deep,   
Where the winds are all asleep;   
Where the spent light quivers and gleams;   
Where the night gives stage to crystal dreams;   
Where the creatures roam the land   
Never chained by human hand;   
Where the Pook live and slumber,   
Raise their young, and increase in number;   
Where the great Gryphon comes flying by,   
Fly and fly, with unshut eye,   
Round the world for ever and aye?   
When did the music come this way?   
Niece dear, was it yesterday?   
  
Niece dear, was it yesterday   
(Call yet once) that she went away?   
Once she sate with you and me,   
On a red gold throne under the Flarrow tree,   
And you, my dear, sate on her knee.   
She brushed your raven tresses, and she tended them well,   
When down swung the sound of a far-off bell.   
She sigh'd, she looked through the clear blue portal;   
She said: "I must go, for my heart does yearn   
For what beyond the portal lies and of that world I must learn.   
And I lose my poor soul, mo run, here with thee."   
I said, "Go then, ashula, through the gateway- to this place you are not bound:   
Have thy visit, and then come back to the Underground."   
She smiled, she went through the portal by the bay.   
Niece dear, was it yesterday?   
  
Niece dear, were we long alone?   
"The sky grows stormy, the little one moans;   
Long lessons," I said, "in the world they teach'   
Come!" I said, and we went through the portal by the beach.   
We went up the hill, past trees green and brown   
Where the wild lilies bloom, to the stone-walled town.   
Through the narrow paved streets, where all was still,   
To a large, gray house on a windy hill.   
From the house came a murmur of the folk dining there,   
But we stood without in the cold blowing airs.   
We watched through the window, the stones worn with rains,   
And we gazed upon the room through the small leaded panes.   
She sate by the fire; we saw her clear:   
"Aurora, hist! Come quick, we are here!   
"Ashula," I said, "we are long alone.   
The sky grows stormy, the little one moans."   
But, ah! she never gave me a look,   
For her eyes were glued to a human book!   
Loud talk the people; shut stands the door.   
Come away, dear neice, call no more.   
Down, down, down,   
Down to the depths of the oubliette!   
She sits by her window in the humming town,   
Singing most joyfully.   
Hark what she sings: "O joy, O joy   
From the humming street, and the child with his toy!   
From the priest, and the bell, and the holy well;   
From the window where I sat   
This I saw with a black and white cat!"   
  
And so she sings her fill,   
Singing most joyfully,   
Till the book drops from her hand,   
And the fire's flame stands still.   
She steals to the window and looks at the land,   
And past the land to a realm no human eye can see;   
And her eyes are set in a stare;   
And anon breaks a sigh,   
And anon drops a tear,   
From sorrow-clouded eyes,   
And a heart sorrow- laden,   
A long, long sigh;   
For the gold strange eyes of a little maiden   
And the gleam of her ebony curls.   
  
Come away, away, child!   
Come, my dear neice, come down!   
The North Wind blows colder;   
Lights shine in the town.   
She will start from her slumber   
When the gusts shake the door;   
She will hear the winds howling,   
Will hear the waves roar.   
We shall see, while above us   
The sky roars and whirls,   
A ceiling of amber,   
A pavement of pearls.   
Singing: "Here came a princess,   
But faithless was she:   
And alone dwell forever   
The king of the Labyrinth."   
  
But, neice, at midnight,   
When the soft winds blow,   
When clear falls the moonlight,   
When spring-tides are low:   
When sweet airs come seaward   
From heaths starr'd with broom;   
And high rocks throw mildly   
On the blanch'd sands a gloom:   
From our castle beyond the Goblin City   
With hearts, for ourselves, full of pity,   
We will watch through the portal's crown,   
The gray, sleeping town;   
The house on the hillside-   
And then will turn away.   
Singing: "There dwells a loved one,   
But cruel is she!   
She left lonely forever   
The king and princess of the Labyrinth."   
  
(The original poem "The Forsaken Merman" was written by Matthew Arnold. I rewrote certain passages in order to make it work for Labyrinth II: Return to the Underground. Thank you, Mister Arnold for such a moving piece. This version of the "Forsaken Merman" is to stay on this site. )   
~AJ~ 


	7. Only Then Can You Belong To Me Part 2

Aurora pulled away from her and looked out at the horizon. Once again, she found herself staring at the Crystal Kingdom. "I did, Morighana, I truly did. And still do. But things changed and I had no other choice but to leave."   
  
The resentment she had tried to hold against Aurora was nowhere to be found. "You never even said good-bye."   
  
Aurora turned on her heel and met the girl's eyes. "I couldn't, Mori. I knew I'd never go if I did. And I had to leave. It was the best thing for everyone involved. Didn't Jareth give you my letter?"   
  
Morighana nodded. "It's not the same though. Everything was such a mess after you left. Nothing got better."   
  
"I know. I know." Aurora held her hand out to Morighana. "I was so young then; I thought I was doing the right thing."   
  
Morighana put her arm around the redhead's waist and they began to walk. Kemper took his place on Aurora's shoulder and Ribito walked along side Morighana after she said hello to Aurora. Ribito was glad to see her again, though she had only been a cub when Aurora lived in Sominus.   
  
"It doesn't matter anymore, Rory," Morighana chirped, "because you're here now and everything will be the way it was before."   
  
Aurora swallowed. This was worse than anything Jareth could have possibly come up with; Morighana's hurt was real as well as her wanting to reunite the past with present and pretend nothing was changed.   
  
"Morighana." They kept walking. "I'm afraid that won't happen. I'm not here to stay. "   
  
Morighana stopped. "Of course you are," she said not wanting to accept what Aurora was saying. "Uncle Jareth brought you home."   
  
Aurora shook her head. "No, he didn't. My neice is here and I'm going to take her home."   
  
Morighana stubbornly shook her head. "No," she retored. "You are going to stay. You have to. This is your home!"   
  
Aurora said nothing. How like Jareth she is, she thought. Both stubborn and childish when they don't get their way. Suddenly, Aurora wished she didn't have to go back. But the feeling was fleeting. She gazed steadily at Morighana.   
  
"Mori, completely disappearing from your life was wrong of me and selfish. I regret that. But I'm sure Jareth won't mind if you come visit me when I go back." She purposely left out saying "home". She wasn't sure exactly what home was anymore.   
  
Morighana seemed a bit less stubborn and no longer looked as though she going to pull a tantrum. "He never let me go with him when he went see you."   
  
"Maybe he'll change his mind."   
  
Morighana considered that. "I never thought to ask him if I could go with him," she admitted somewhat sheepishly. "I guess I was too angry with you for leaving and mad at him for not offering to take me with him."   
  
Aurora arched an eyebrow and grinned. "Well, you should ask him. He's never been able to say no to you."   
  
Morighana returned her grin. "True."   
  
They resumed walking and Morighana asked, "Who's your neice?"   
  
"Sarah." Aurora explained the situation and Jareth's role in it and didn't see Morighana's eyes darken at the mention of Sarah's name.   
  
Now Morighana had all the more reason to hate Sarah. Not only was she trying to seduce her uncle, but she would also send Aurora back to the human world in order to keep her away from Jareth. Though she had yet to devise a plan that disposed of Sarah and yet kept Aurora in Sominus, she would. And it would work. Because Morighana, like her uncle, always got what she wanted.   
  
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************   
  
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************   
  
  
The sun was beginning to set and as it did it set the Underground afire. Jareth took Sarah to a hilltop overlooking the Far Side of the Labyrinth. From there, the world was made of gold and diamonds. The diamonds were what caught Sarah's eye.   
  
"That looks like a city down there!" she exclaimed, looking over her shoulder at Jareth whose face was shrouded in shadow.   
  
"It is a city," he said walking up behind her. "It's the Dweller City."   
  
He was very close to her and his breath was warm against her cheek. "Don't you wonder what happens to the Wished-Aways after they grow up? They can't remain children forever."   
  
He ran his hand over her hair. She turned her head slightly.   
  
"Every Dweller in the city is either a Wished-Away or can trace their heritage back to a Wished-Away. The city is as old as the Underground itself."   
  
Sarah's heart began to pound so loud she was sure Jareth could hear it. In the twilight, the city was magical and desirable.   
  
"I want to see the city," she whispered. "I want to meet the people. Spend the day there."   
  
Jareth put his mouth against her ear. "You could spend forever there. You could have your own flat if you so wished it."   
  
She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. "A small one?"   
  
"A palace if you wished it so."   
  
Sarah looked at the Dweller City and wanted nothing as much as she wanted to be apart of the Underground.   
  
"My offer still stands." Jareth held a crystal sphere in front of her. "Let me give you your dreams..."   
  
"I have no brother here to give you in trade."   
  
"All I ask, Sarah, is that you stay here. Stay here and never look back at the world you came from. Never return to your family and friends. Give them up and you can have your dreams. Forever."   
  
Sarah faced him. Trembling, she placed her hand on the sphere he still held out to her.   
  
In the darkness, Jareth grinned evilly. She was his now; it had been almost too easy. In many ways, she was like her aunt had been at sixteen. Innocent and very naive.   
  
Sarah moistened her lips. With her free hand his took his hand and looked at him unable to see the triumphant gleam in his eyes.   
  
"I wish to remain in the Underground.... Forever." 


	8. Think Of Me

Chapter 6: Think Of Me  
  
" We never said our love was evergreen or as unchanging as the sea, but if you can still remember- stop and think of me!"  
  
A crystal moon had replaced the setting sun and it lit the path Aurora, Morighana, Kemper, and Ribito were on. Morighana yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily, shuffling her feet in the dirt of the road. Ribito quietly slipped her head underneath her little mistress and gently lifted her onto her back. Aurora held Morighana's hand, knowing that they should try to find a place to spend the night. Even Kemper was beginning to nod off.  
  
The night air was chilly against Aurora's back and arms. A halter top shirt and jeans were harldly the appropriate attire for a night Underground. But her hair would provide enough warmth that she could sleep outdoors, and thus they could very easily find a place to sleep.  
  
An inviting Dogmore tree caught her eye and she guided her little party over to it. The monstrous, low-lying limbs provided a suitable roof and the soft, thick grasses below it made a comfortable matteress. Ribito sat down by its trunk enabling Aurora to slide the raven-haired sleeping beauty off. She settled down next to Morighana, her large paws wrapped around the girl. In her sleep, Morighana snuggled against her tiger. Kemper crawled underneath Ribito's chin and curled into a tight ball, his bushy tail covering his head.  
  
Aurora did not join them. She watched their rythmic breathing and a ghost of a smile kissed her lips. "I have missed you, Mori," she whispered to the night. "You'll never know how much."  
  
Sleep evaded the redhead and so she took a short walk away from her slumbering companions to a small lookout point. Only a few lights lit the Dweller City. The Crystal Kingdom emanated a soft glow from top the Mountain of a Thousand Caves. There was absolutely no escaping her past here. Every thing, every person, every place was a glaring reminder of who she was no matter how much she pretended otherwise.  
  
Aurora became aware that she was no longer alone. A familiar presence had joined her.  
  
"I'm surprised it took you so long to return," she commented without turning around.  
  
"Unfortunately, ashulla," Jareth spoke in low tones. "I had other matters to attend."  
  
Something that had been buried long ago began stir within Aurora at the sound of the long forgotten name he used to always call her. It had been eons since he had last used it, or so it seemed.  
  
"Sarah." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
"Sarah."  
  
Aurora felt his arms around her. She did not fight him off as one might have suspected, but then Aurora was never the conventional type. Instead, she leaned back against him putting her hand on top of his.  
  
"Is she well?"  
  
"Very." He rested his chin on top of her head. "She is sleeping comfortably in the Dweller City Ciy- safe, warm, and fed."  
  
Aurora said nothing.  
  
"Morighana has missed you dreadfully."  
  
"Yes. I know."  
  
A cool wind blew across Sominus. It carefully wrapped Jareth's cloak about the two, trying not to disturb them, before it went about its business.  
  
It was Jareth who finally broke the silence.  
  
"Has the world beyond the portal been everything you dreamed it would be?"  
  
Aurora hesitated in her answer. Not so long ago she would have anwered an immediate yes.  
  
"It has many fantastic qualities."  
  
"That's not what I asked you," he chided.  
  
She turned her head slightly. His fragrance eveloped her senses and settled in her hair. It was the scent of someone who had ridden the winds back- an otherworldly perfume that no human has ever smelled and for which there was no earthly comparision.  
  
"It has rarely disappointed me," she said. After a moment she added, "Though it lacks greatly in certain areas."  
  
Jareth considered pursuing her last comment, but decided to let it go. Instead he asked,  
  
"How goes Neverland Publishing?"  
  
Aurora twisted around in his arms in order to look directly at him.  
  
"How did you know its name? The last time you came to Carrick Dun, we had not decide on a name."  
  
Jareth chuckled very softly. "I still watched you, ashulla. I was watching when you chose the name. I was watching when you christened the new building and held the press conference announcing the name. Quite suitable for a company which publishes children's books and fairy tales, I might add. Accept my belated congratulations."  
  
"It's finally beginning to really take off," she said response to his original question. She settled back into his arms and her gaze fell on the Crystal Kingdom.  
  
There was another breath of silence between them. Aurora spoke first this time.  
  
"Why did you stop coming?"  
  
It was a very rare occerance that the Goblin King was at a loss for words.  
  
Finally he said, "I thought you stopped caring."  
  
"Liar," she gently scolded him. "That's not the reason."  
  
"Perhaps you're right." He watched curiously as she slowly slipped the glove off his right hand.  
  
Even in the night, the whiteness of his hand stood out, a hand which rarely saw the light of day. She opened his hand, palm up, fingers spread apart and place her own hand on top of his.  
  
"Even our hands make a beautiful pair." His words sounded distant as though the moment he spoke them the wind whisked them away.  
  
Her hand lay in his, small and fragile looking, porcelin resting on pearl. Both were slim with long tapered fingers made to make instuments sing- hers once made harps come to life with an angel's voice.  
  
"Do you still play?" she asked thinking of the white and gold grand piano that once stood in the Grand Hall.  
  
"When the mood is upon me."  
  
Absent-mindedly, she traced the outline of her hand against his palm with the fingers of her free hand. She closed her eyes, looking contented for once.  
  
She looked so young and fragile. Jareth felt an emotion akin to guilt over how he had beguiled Sarah. In fact, he almost regretted it.  
  
What's done is done, he told himself. There is no turning back time.  
  
He had been presented with an opprotunity and he took it.  
  
"Ashulla." He turned her around to face him.  
  
"Hmmm?" She slowly opened her eyes and found his.  
  
"It's time to come home. All that has been done can be forgiven and forgotten. No one in the Crystal Kingdom will know of your presence if you don't want them to. You promised me, and more importantly, you promised Morighana that you would only visit the human realm. We have waited so long for your return. It's time."  
  
Her eyes had a dreamy look in them as though she were only half with him.  
  
"Aurora, stay with me."  
  
She brought her gaze back to him. In the depths of those blue spheres was the answer he sought. His expression was not one of triumph, but of eager anticipation.  
  
She began to shake her head no.  
  
"Yes," he breathed. He moved his head closer to hers. She moved towards him. So close were they and closer still. Just before their lips met, Aurora said,  
  
"No."  
  
Jareth's eyes flared with anger and disbelief. Anger that she would defy him. Disbelief that she would deny him.  
  
He back away from her, leaving her unguarded against the night air. She shivered suddenly cold. He put his glove back on then turned his back on her. She was saddened, but not surprised.  
  
The wind suddenly picked up, blowing her hair to the side like a banner.  
  
In a voice only the wind could hear she said, "You are still mo run. Always Mo run."  
  
**************************************************************************** ************************************************************************ **************************************************************************** ************************************************************************  
  
"Two shall be born, the whole wide world apart, And speak in different tongues and have no thought Each of the others being, and no heed; And these, o'er unknown seas, to unknown lands Shall cross, escaping wreck, defying death; And all unconsciously shape every act And bend each wandering step to this one end- That one day out of darkness they shall meet And read life's meaning in each other's eyes.  
  
And two shall walk some narrow way of life So nearly side by side that, should one turn Ever so little space to left or right They needs must stand acknowledged, face to face, And yet with wistful eyes that never meet, and groping hands that never clasp, and lips Calling in vain to ears that never hear, They seek each other all their weary days And die unsatisfied- and this is Fate." -Susan Marr Spalding 


	9. In This Labyrinth Where Night Is Blind

Chapter 7: "In This Labyrinth Where Night Is Blind"  
  
"Heaven help you, those who doubt! Oh fools, to have flouted his warnings! Think, before these demands are rejected! This is a game you cannot hope to win!"  
  
Sarah was awakened by daylight streaming in through an open window is her host's house. A young woman in a simple dress of earth tones walked into the room Sarah was in and smiled cheerfully.  
  
"Good day to ye, lass." She carefully laid Sarah's dress over the back of a plain wooden chair that sat adjacent to the little bed.  
  
Aerona tuck a stray lock of golden hair back into the kercheif she wore on her head.  
  
"Breakfast is ready, duck," she said as she turned to go. "Get dressed then come and join us."  
  
Sarah nodded and slowly slid out of bed. She padded over to the window and leaned against the frame. The day was bright and sunny and full of endless possiblities. She drank in the sunlight and crisp clean air. Then she turned from the window. Aerona had carefully washed the green velvet gown and as Sarah picked it up, she realized just how impractical it was. She shrugged and changed out the nightgown that Aerona's oldest girl, Joy, had let her borrow.  
  
Breakfast smelled heavenly as Sarah joined the rest of the family at the table. Bayard, Aerona's husband, seemed properly impressed by her.  
  
"My," he remarked with a wink. "It looks like we are dining with a princess this fine mornin'. Sarah means princess, doesn't it?"  
  
Sarah couldn't hide her grin. "I think it does. I've never really thought about it before."  
  
Bayard finshed the food he had in mouth. "Ye should, lass. In Sominus, the meaning of names is very important."  
  
"Really?" Sarah picked up a forkful of food, hoping he would go on.  
  
Bayard nodded. "Names here are carefully chosen. Meaning is very important. Care to take a gander at what our beloved King Jareth's name means?"  
  
"Bayard!" Aerona gave her husband a look of horror. "How many times do I have to tell ye not to speak of his Highness in such a manner! Ye'll bring his wrath upon us!"  
  
Bayard rolled his eyes and ignored her.  
  
Sarah thought that Jareth's name would mean beautiful, handsome prince, wise and noble king, or great king. But she did not voice these thoughts. Instead she shrugged.  
  
"I don't have any idea really."  
  
"Dark King," Bayard said, in a mocking tone. "And it suits him perfectly."  
  
A loud crash came from the kitchen.  
  
"What in the Underground was that, Aeri!?" Bayard had jumped to his feet upsetting his water glass.  
  
Aerona had slammed down a pot on the stove. "Stop speaking of him with such disrespect!" she cried in distress. "Ye are inviting his wrath on us!"  
  
The burly man snorted in annoyance and sat back down in a less pleasant mood. He finished eating in silence.  
  
Aerona came in and cleared his dishes away, then sat with Sarah as she finished.  
  
"Sorry about that, lass," she sighed. "I just can't stand him speaking like he does. We've heard rumors of King Jareth's anger and seen it's destruction when people speak so carelessly about him. I don't know why he'd care about poor folk like us, but I can't take the chance. I've got bairns to look after. Can ye understand?"  
  
Sarah nodded. "Don't worry though. I'll make sure that you're kept safe. Jareth won't bother you."  
  
Aerona gave her a faint smile and patted her arm in a motherly fashion. "Yes, of course, dear," she said as though Sarah was suffering from delusions.  
  
Sarah turned her attention back to her breakfast which consisted of many things she didn't recognize but that taste delicious nonetheless.  
  
**************************************************************************** *********************************************************************** **************************************************************************** ***********************************************************************  
  
Morighana had left Aurora, who was still asleep, early that morning. She knew Jareth had been there last night; Aurora's hair smelled like him. Normally, Ribito would have gone with her, but Morighana had told her to stay with Aurora and shadow her every move lest she should try to leave.  
  
In the Castle beyond the Goblin City, the goblins were still asleep. Only the servants were up and about, quietly working as not to disturb their master.  
  
Morighana slipped unseen into the West wing and made her way down the corridor. Quietly, she approached a large, ornate, mohogany door. The door opened easily and Morighana slid in, carefully closing it behind her.  
  
Jareth's chamber was a grand sprawling room, decorated with all sorts of oddities from his many travels. His Majesty lay in the middle of a very large four post bed made of black wood. On each post was a carving: an owl, a tiger, a wolf, and a bear.  
  
A tangled mess of bedding and blankets covered him and he had a silk encased pillow over his head. On a normal morning, Morighana would have awaken him with a loud crash of some sort due to chasing the goblins about. And it was always their fault, naturally, never hers.  
  
She climbed onto the bed that stood three feet off the floor. If he was awake, Jareth ignored her. Since just sitting there got her nowhere, Morighana lifted a corner of the pillow up. It was abruptly pulled back down. She stood up and walked wobbly across the bed closer to him and sat on his chest. Still nothing. She shook him hard. He groaned but did not move.  
  
Getting frustrated, Morighana yanked the pillow from him, allowing the light to splash his face. This got his attention and he growled.  
  
"Come on, papa." She tugged at his sleeve. "Get up!"  
  
He opened one eye, looked at her, and closed it again. "Go away, you little goblin."  
  
Morighana stuck her bare, cold toes under his chin. He took both ankles in one hand and tossed them to the side. "Why do you always instist on harassing me in the mornings?"  
  
Jareth sat up, toppling Morighana onto her back.  
  
"Cause I love you."  
  
Jareth glanced at her, smiled, and put the pillow over her head.  
  
**************************************************************************** *********************************************************************** **************************************************************************** *********************************************************************** Sarah sat on the porch steps in front of Aerona and Bayard's home watching the children playing in the street. A group of them stood across the street from her shreiking in fear and delight. They seemed to be playing a peculiar game of hide and seek. She wandered over curiously and she could hear them chanting:  
  
"Here he is, here he is The Goblin King in all his fury! Find her fast before he comes, hurry, hurry! Chant out loud so she can hear; Jareth's Queenie are you near?"  
  
An unseen voice called out,"  
  
"No, no you are too far, No closer than a falling star!"  
  
The group of children repeated their chant. Again the voice cried out.  
  
"Closer are you getting now, So close I can see your brow!"  
  
A scream pierced the air making Sarah jump. The group collectively shrieked and scattered. From behind a shed, a figure emerged wearing a grotesque mask, dragging a girl with him. In a loud voice he announced,  
  
"I am the Goblin King, And you but fools! To rally against me is a sin, This is a game you cannot win!"  
  
Everyone paused as though waiting for something. After awhile, they let out a sigh of relief and began their game again.  
  
"Hey!" The girl who had been captured waved at Sarah. "Wanna play?"  
  
"Play what?"  
  
The bright-eyed girl walked over to her. "Jareth's Queenie."  
  
At Sarah's blank look, she explained. "See you have two people who are it. They are," she dropped her voice low. "Jareth's Queenie and the Goblin King. Jareth's Queenie hides first while everyone else counts. After she hides, Jareth hides while they count. Jareth's Queenie can't move once she has chosen her spot. But Jareth can. He tries to find her before the others do."  
  
"What happens if they don't?" The game intrigued Sarah. What a strange thing to play!  
  
The girl shrugged. "Not much. If Jareth finds her, he wins. If some else finds her, they're the Goblin King and whoever was the Goblin King has to be Jareth's Queenie."  
  
Sarah wrinkled her nose. "I don't get it. What makes it fun and why did everyone seem so frightened."  
  
The girl led her over to some empty crates and motioned for her to sit down.  
  
"It's a forbidden game." Her voice was low and ominous. "You see Jareth's Queenie is the Goblin King's sister and the next in line for the throne. He banished her to Isle of Abandonment so she can't overthrow him. She is the antithesis of him. He hates anything that reminds him of her including our game."  
  
The girl paused for dramtic effect and then continued.  
  
"Once when the game was being played." Screams and shrieks intruppted her. "The one playing Jareth came running out of the woods scared nearly to death! He couldn't talk nothing but gibberish and had to write down what he had seen. A black cloaked figure came riding out of the woods and snatched the one who was Jareth's Queenie. He told the boy never to play the game again or he would be sorry. The boy said the rider was the Goblin King because of the pendant he wore. The girl was never seen again and the boy never spoke an intelligent word from that day forth. If you ask him about it now, his eyes glaze over and he gets scared like the rider's coming for him. It's fun to play because it's dangerous. The Goblin King might just snatch us all!"  
  
Sarah frowned. "He's not like that at all! I know him. I've been with him."  
  
The girl's eyes widened in fear. She leapt away from Sarah as though she had some sort of contagious disease. "You must be some sort of witch to say such things!"  
  
Sarah quickly got up. "No wait! Please, I'm not a witch! I-"  
  
But the girl had already run away from her and over to her friends. They huddled in a tight group and slowly heads turned to stare at Sarah, faces shining with fear and wonder. Without a word, they disappeared into the woodwork of the surrounding building and took their game elsewhere.  
  
Sarah stood alone in her bewilderment.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************************************************************** **************************************************************************** **********************************************************************  
  
Morighana bounced Mae on her knee making it difficult for the nursemaid to feed the baby. Mae had little interest in food anyway. She wanted the hat that a small goblin wore. Morighana got tired of Mae's fusing and put her down. The child toddled over to the goblin, laughed as she smacked him, and took his hat. The goblin wasn't very happy with his hat being stolen and sulked away. He didn't bother challenging her- she ruled the roost and he knew it.  
  
Jareth chuckled at Mae's tactic for getting what she wanted. He was just about to take a bite of his breakfast when Morighana got in between him and the table and sat on his lap. He put his fork down.  
  
"Do you mind?"  
  
Morighana looked at him innocently. "No, go ahead."  
  
Jareth snorted and tried again to eat. His neice's hair kept getting in the way.  
  
"Come on, papa," she whined. "Let's go. I want to see Aurora."  
  
Jareth let the fork clattered on the plate. "As do I, but a certain little imp is making that rather difficult."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Jareth managed to somewhat finish breakfast. He stood up and gave Morighana a little shove to get her out of his way. She stood on the chair he had been sitting in and waited expectantly.  
  
Jareth looked at her and turned away. "I am not carrying you anywhere."  
  
Morighana stuck out her bottom lip and looked sad. Jareth made the mistake of looking back at her. He sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and walked back over to her. With his finger, he pushed her bottom lip back in. He lifted her by her waist and set her on the floor.  
  
"I know that you're still very young, my angel, but I need you to act like an sixteen-year-old human girl; not a sixteen-year-old Undergroundling."  
  
"Alright," she agreed.  
  
Jareth casually put his arm around her shoulder and they walked over to Mae. Jareth picked the little girl up before she could get demanding. The three of them wore similiar expressions; arrogantly confident and cunning.  
  
"I have a few things to take care of before I pay Rory another visit," he told Morighana. "I want you to stay with her and make sure she stays away from Sarah."  
  
Morighana put her hands on her hips. "You should be the one to stay with Aurora and let me take of Sarah!"  
  
"No," he shifted Mae to his other arm. "Because that's exactly what you'll do. You'll 'take care' of her. I don't want her harmed!'  
  
"No!" Mae squealed at Morighana and laughed.  
  
Morighana glared at her then looked back at Jareth, eyes full of fiery accussations. "What are you up to?! You haven't told me what you're planning! You always do!"  
  
Jareth's eyes flashed in annoyance. "Don't raise your voice to me, you impudent little brat! What I do is my business."  
  
Hurt filled her eyes, and he said more gently. "When Aurora asks you what I'm up to, I want you to be able to answer truthfully that you don't know."  
  
Morighana didn't buy it. "The truth has never mattered before."  
  
"It does where Aurora is concerned."  
  
"Are you in love with Sarah?" she asked bitterly.  
  
Jareth's eyes wideden as though she had slapped him. Anger blazed in his eyes. He put Mae in her playpen and swept out of the room and out of the Castle.  
  
Morighana stood there. He would come back any moment, she was sure of it. He didn't. She ran out of the Castle with the speed of a hind.  
  
Jareth was so angry that he could harldy see.  
  
How dare she suggest such a thing! he fumed to himself. But in the back of his mind he wondered why it had upset him so. He didn't have time to dwell on it, because his neice barrled into him from behind.  
  
He stopped walking and turned around. Her face was twisted; she seemed on the verge of crying. His anger dissapated and he wrapped her in a big hug. He pulled back and held her face in his hands.  
  
"How are we going to succeed if we're fighting each other?'  
  
"I'm sorry. That was a horrible thing to say."  
  
"Apology accepted." He smiled at her. "Now let's get on with the game shall we?"  
  
Morighana grinned. "Yes, let's."  
  
**************************************************************************** *********************************************************************** **************************************************************************** ***********************************************************************  
  
Sarah sat in Joy's room while the older girl finished making her bed.  
  
"So you got to see them play Jareth's Queenie, huh?" Joy straightened the quilt and then joine Sarah on the floor.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't know why they ran from me like that."  
  
"They've been told all their lives that Jareth is evil and to be feared," Joy shrugged. "They don't know any better."  
  
"Are you afraid of him?"  
  
Joy contemplated that for a moment. "Don't see I should be. He's not done anything to me."  
  
Sarah smiled. Finally! Someone with some sense.  
  
"Does Jareth's Queenie really exist?"  
  
Joy laughed. "Jareth's Queenie? No, but his sister does."  
  
Sarah looked puzzled. "What's the difference?"  
  
"Jareth's Queenie is the goblin's name for her. They have her built up as some mythological creature with wings whose locked away in a tower somewhere and will one day liberate the Underground!"  
  
Joy found this highly amusing. Her eyes twinkled and dimples danced on her cheeks. "The Dwellers have even added to their tale saying that her return to the Underground will end the enchantment the goblins are under."  
  
She laughed harder and Sarah couldn't help but smile at the silliness of it all.  
  
"Now the goblins aren't under any enchantment; they're goblins just like Pooks are Pooks."  
  
Sarah leaned forward eagerly. "So what's the truth behind Jareth's Queenie."  
  
"I was hoping ye would ask that!" Joy settled into storyteller mode.  
  
"Our Goblin King was not the eldest child of King Damien and Queen Morag as one might assume. In fact, he was rather stuck in the middle of nine siblings, most of them sisters. Robin was the eldest and most wicked of them all- so wicked that the old Goblin King did not wish to see his throne given to his son and when Robin came of age, the King made him the ruler of the evil Seven Towers, a kingdom on the outermost region of the Underground that had long sincerebelled against King Damien.  
  
After three girls, Queen Morag finally gave birth to her next and last son, Jareth. His father saw that this was the offspring to whom he wanted to succeded him. Jareth, oddly enough, was a rather reluctant heir.  
  
After their ninth and supposedly last child was born, King Damien and Queen Morag busied themselves with finding for their children suitable spouses. The girls were easy enough to marry off, but Robin and Jareth were another matter. Finding Robin a wife as cruel and wicked as himself was difficult but eventually done. Jareth wanted no part of the thing and rebelled against anything they tried.  
  
Morag's plans to find a wife for her youngest son were put on hold by an unexpected pregnancy that, needless to say, surprised the entire family. In the dead of winter a daughter was brought into the world and christened Izella Annais Rana. Her name meant "little princess born to rule".  
  
This daughter born to King Damien in his old age was special. The king knew that she was not to be married off to some prince in another kingdom, but to rule at home. However, Jareth was already heir to the Goblin throne. King Damien and Queen Morag agreed, that since Jareth refused to marry at a decent age, Izella should be second in line to the throne as insurance in case something happened to Jareth or he never had children of his own. Jareth was twenty-four at the time of Izella's birth; that's Labyrinthian years, of course. He would have been three hundred in human years.  
  
Where Robin had been born with a heart of ice, Izella was born with a large warm heart: a model child, good and noble. Which was slightly disappointing to her father. Morag was pleased that little Izella was nothing like her sinister brothers and conivivng manipuative sisters. The child seemed to have escaped the family's villianous tendencies and Morag sought to keep her untainted. The princess was not allowed to be with her sisters unless her mother was with her, which was not a problem; her sisters were too consumed with themsleves to care about the infant.  
  
As for Robin, it seemed to his mother that her son had too much interest in the child and forbid him to be near her. When that didn't work, King Damien banished him from the Underground, essentially cutting him off from the family and their wealth.  
  
Robin despised Izella for this reason and tried numerous times to have her murdered only to be thrwarted by Jareth. Jareth, naturally, had alterior motives for foiling his brother. He disliked the child who didn't sleep through the night and who had stolen Morag's attention from him. He was Morag's favorite son still, but up until Izella's birth, had been her favorite child. He only did what he did because he adored his mother and sought to win her praise and love.  
  
Morag had been ill ever since Izella had been born and when the baby was nine moons old, the great queen died. With Morag died the small part of Jareth that was good and capable of love. His dislike of Izella turned to hatred for he felt it was her fault that his mother died.  
  
Izella was raised mainly by the nursemaid Damien had brought in for her. Jareth would have nothing to do with her and no longer protected her. Robin was too consumed with hatred for Jareth to care about his sister anymore.  
  
Two moons after Izella had been born, Robin's wife, Annalise, had given birth to a daughter herself and she was christened Morighana Keaira, meaning " dark little queen". Neither Robin nor Annalise had any use for a daughter, only a son, and were about to abandon the child when Jareth stepped in. The wicked couple gladly handed their daughter over to him.  
  
Jareth took Morighana and raised her as his own and everyday she grew more and more like her grandmother, from her black curly hair to her golden eyes. But her personality and attiude became more and more like her "papa", Jareth.  
  
King Damien had lost his desire to rule after his beloved wife passed away and reliquished his throne to his son. Shortly before his death, he put in his will that Jareth was to be named guardian of Izella because he had proven himself capable of raising a child.  
  
After the King died and the new king had assumed the throne, life became difficult for Izella. Jareth never let her forget who he favored more. He indulged Morighana's every whim and fancy. She always took the fall for Morighana even if Jareth saw with his own eyes that Morighana was at fault.  
  
Morighana was not nice to her aunt. She teased her until she cried and went out of her way to be cruel to her. All this Jareth allowed, never once disiplining his wicked little neice.  
  
Izella had a cold small room in an used section of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City in which she spent most of her days. She wasn't put to work as a servant; no her fate was far worse. She did nothing all day. Only when Jareth was required to show Izella to the court did he allow her to put on a nice dress and be treated half-way decent.  
  
As I've said before, Izella was a special child and instead of growing bitter and vengeful in such an environment, she grew sweeter and more noble with each trial filled day.  
  
When the girls turned eight, Morighana seemed less concerned with being nasty to Izella. Jareth had bought her an expensive elemental tiger of fire cub for her birthday and she spent her days with Ribito. On rare occassions, she would invite her aunt into her room to chat and play with her things. Morighana was not found of the frills and lace found on the dresses that kings and queens sent her in order to remain in her uncle's good graces, and so she gave them to Izella. Jareth was furious the first time he saw her in one of Morighana's dresses, but Morighana simply told him that she didn't want them and the matter was forgotten.  
  
In time Izella was allowed to venture outside of the Castle and she chose to spend her days in the Dweller City were she learned that she was the heir to Jareth's throne. The little princess was greatly loved by the people to whom she was good and kind. The people began to speak against Jareth and say that when Izella was old enough she should take her rightful place on the throne.  
  
Izella innocently thought that she could tell Morighana these things and that they would laugh about them like friends would. Morighana did not laugh. She was fiercely loyal and devoted to Jareth and saw both the Dwellers and Izella as a threat to her uncle and his throne.  
  
Morighana told her uncle all that Izella had said. Jareth, who had not forgotten that his sister was the reason Morag had died, had for years sought away to banish the child but had failed to find a plausible reason to do so. Morighana found one for him.  
  
Morighana suggested that Jareth do something to the Dwellers to punish them for their treasonous murmurings. The eight-year-old- imp said that the best way to punish them and make sure that Izella could never lay claim to the throne was to banish their beloved little princess. It took little convincing for Jareth to agree to her devious plan. In a public ceremony that Izella was told in her honor, Jareth exiled Izella to the Isle of Abandonment in the Lake of Tears for life. The Lake was inhabited by sea monsters and a warning that all who attempted to rescue the princess would pay with their lives. To show that he was not all "bad" he allowed six servants to go with her and had a little cottage built on the isle with a lush garden all around.  
  
Because she was so rarely seen when she was living in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City and never seen after her exile, the goblins began to call her Jareth's Queenie because they did not know her real name.  
  
She's still there to this day. She'd be about your age, Sarah," Joy say back and smiled.  
  
"Wow." was all Sarah could say. 


	10. Pleading Eyes

In Aranjuez and Let Me Sweep can be found on Sarah Brightman's albums. Little Girl is solely mine. Please don't use it without permission.  
  
Chapter 8: "Pleading Eyes that Both Threaten and Adore  
  
"Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes that both threaten and adore..."  
  
Morighana was in a sulky mood. She kick at everything and nothing that was in her path. A plan had taken shape in her pretty little head but its details were vague and it frustrated her. Normally when such blocks occurred she would take them to Jareth to work out the kinks. But not this time, Sarah had seen to that.  
  
Ooo!, she glowered. "If I could just have five minutes alone with her, she'd be history!" She trudged along, glaring darkly at nothing particular. She shifted the pack on her back and decided it was taking too long to reach Aurora. She faded into the trees, leaving only footprints behind.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
Joy had left Sarah briefly to help her mother with the young ones. Sarah had trouble staying in one spot for very long. She just knew that Jareth would be showing up at any time and she was getting antsy waiting. She sighed dreamily and leaned against a tree's trunk. The tree moved.  
  
Sarah jumped away from it in alarm and the tree laughed. She looked at the peculiar plant and found that what she had been leaning against was not a tree at all. It was Jareth.  
  
Sarah ran to him a little too eagerly. It was never wise to let the Goblin King know just how much power he over has you, but Sarah did not know this. She caught him off-guard and he return her embrace somewhat stiffly. She didn't notice.  
  
"Have you enjoyed your stay in the Dweller City?" he smirked after he had disengaged himself from her. Morighana's question still rang in his ears.  
  
"Oh, yes," Sarah began to tell him all about it. Unfortunately, she also told him about seeing the children play "Jareth's Queenie" and about hearing the tale of Izella. It really wasn't Sarah's fault that she was being so careless and naive. The Gardens of Forgetfulness had made her forget that she strong-willed and had defeated Jareth once upon a time.  
  
A dark cloud of animosity veiled the Goblin King's eyes. He waited for Sarah to finish her story then asked darkly,  
  
"Who told you these things?"  
  
"Joy, Aerona's and Bayard's oldest girl. Why?"  
  
"I have a curious nature," he replied, his eyes normal again. "Sarah, I have some business to attend this morning. Regretfully, I must leave you for now..." He was thrilled to see her face fall. "But," he lifted her chin with his finger, "we shall spend this evening together, just you and I. I believe you would have fun in the marketplace until then, my dear."  
  
Sarah felt something small and cool slip into her hand. It was a signet ring.  
  
"Show this ring to the vendors and they will give you whatever your heart desires."  
  
Sarah began to nod when his lips brushed hers and he was gone. Flushed and excited and a bit confused Sarah held a hand to her lips and clutched the ring with the other. All around her was the noisy bustle of people and Sarah was surprised to find herself standing in the middle of the marketplace. **************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
Morighana sat on Aurora's lap as the readhead brushed out her black curls.  
  
"Unce Jareth doesn't do as good a job as you do," she commented rubbing Ribito's silky ears. "He gets the brushed tangled in my hair more often that not."  
  
Aurora smiled. "Did he ever learn to plait properly?"  
  
"Yeah, surprisingly. He just never learned how to get me to sit still long enough to finish."  
  
"All done," Aurora announced setting the silver brush on top of Morighana's pack.  
  
Morighana stood up and grabbed Aurora's hands. "Come on let's go."  
  
"Go where?"  
  
"To get food. I didn't eat with Papa." Morighana never referred to him as papa to others, both she and Jareth kept it to themselves. But Aurora knew all their secrets and so she was not careful to avoid calling him her father. "I wanted to see you." She started to pull Aurora in the direction the Castle.  
  
"Wait." Aurora grabbed the brush and pack. Ribito rose up to follow with Kemper riding between her shoulders.  
  
"Come on!" Morighana urged growing, impatient. "I want you to meet Mae."  
  
"Mae?"  
  
"Yeah, she's this adorable Wished-Away baby that Uncle Jareth decided to raise in the Castle." Seeing Aurora's disapproval with what Jareth had done, she quickly added, "Please don't judge him, Aunt Rory. Mae's father wished her away. They already had more children than their government allowed and girls aren't very valuable where she comes from. If Papa hadn't taken her and kept her, she would have been abandoned."  
  
"Like you, huh?"  
  
Morighana looked away. "Like me. I think that's why he wants to take care of Mae himself, because her situation is as bad as mine was."  
  
Aurora smiled in reverie. No matter how wicked Jareth was, his love for Morighana was very real. **************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
Aurora had managed to slip away from the Crystal Kindgom long enough to visit Jareth.  
  
He was in the courtyard watching ten-year-old Morighana being pushed by Ribito on a swing.  
  
Jareth greeted Aurora with a kiss, but his gaze slipped back to the little girl shrieking with delight as she soared higher and higher.  
  
Aurora watched him watching her. His face mirrorred Morighana's; he laughed when she laughed, smiled when she smiled.  
  
Aurora slipped her arms around his waist and said, "You love her, don't you."  
  
He nodded, his eyes never leaving the curly-headed child. "She's my little girl."  
  
"Papa!" Morighana suddenly shrieked. "Watch me!"  
  
Ribito ran in front of the swing just as Morighana let go and jumped. She landed squarely on the tiger cub's back and squealed in glee.  
  
Jareth applauded her as she ran over to them and jumped in his arms. She smacked his cheek with a kiss, then Aurora's.  
  
"I love my papa and mama," she declared.  
  
Jareth and Aurora smiled at each other. **************************************************************************** ************************************** **************************************************************************** **************************************  
  
Aurora's heart began to pound as they neared the Goblin City. She hid behind her hair and avoided eye contact . She doubted that anyone would recognize her dressed as she was, but she didn't want to risk it.  
  
Morighana, oblvious to Aurora's paranoia, led them to a hidden door in the Castle's stone wall barricade, a route that allowed them to avoid the hassle of using the Gates. Another secret passage way allowed them to bypass the inner bailey and go directly to the courtyard.  
  
Aurora hesitated when Morighana bounded up the steps to the entrance to her home. The girl stopped with her hand on the door and looked back at Aurora expectantly.  
  
"Come on in. I'll have Faith get us something to eat."  
  
Aurora waved her on. "While you do that, I want to see the Garden. It's been ages since I've been there.  
  
Morighana shrugged and Ribito followed her indoors. Aurora's request was hardly unusual; after all the Garden of Eternal Spring had been made for her.  
  
The Garden of Eternal Spring was located in the heart of a miniature replica of the Garden Maze in the Labyrinth just outside of the courtyard. Aurora found her way in easily and though she had spent many days in the Garden, was still mesmerized by its beauty. To her right was the Rose Swing, just as she had last seen it.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
"It's just a little further," Jareth said excitedly. "Just a little bit more."  
  
"Can't you just tell me?" Aurora couldn't stand the suspense. Jareth has been talking about this surprise for days, and she was dying of curiosity.  
  
Jareth finally came to a stop and removed the blindfold from her eyes.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Aurora's jaw dropped at the sight of a perfect bench swing made entirely of red roses.  
  
"Oh, Jareth! It's- it's amazing!" She laughed and ran to it.  
  
Jareth followed her. "Do you really like it?" His eyes reflected his intense desire to please her.  
  
"How could I not?" she said as Jareth guided her on to it.  
  
The swing was just like a rose- soft and delicate. But it was resilent and suported weight without so much as damaging a petal.  
  
She giggled and ran her hands over the seat. The heavenly perfume was intoxicating. She turned to Jareth and threw her arms around him.  
  
"You've truly outdone yourself this time, mo run!"  
  
**************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
Joy finished changing Agnus and ran outside. She looked around for her friend, but could not find her.  
  
"Sarah?" She walked around to the backyard , but Sarah was not there either.  
  
Joy frowned and put one hand on her hip and the other on her head.  
  
"That's strange," she muttered to herself. "She was here a little while ago."  
  
A dark shadow fell over Joy.  
  
"Sarah!" Joy exclaimed as she turned around. "I was just look-"  
  
The girl's face froze in silent horror. Though everything within her told her to run, her feet felt as though they had been cemented to the ground. The last thing she saw was the evil gleam of a silver and gold pendant.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
Inside the castle, Morighana had gotten distracted. Faith had handed her a note from Jareth that instructed her to go to her room. He had something for her.  
  
A crate made of the wood of a Flarrow tree sat on a chair in her bedroom. Morighana's eyes lit up and she pulled the note off the top of it.  
  
Morighana,  
  
I thought perhaps Ribito would like it if she weren't the only elemental creature around here.  
  
Love, Papa  
  
Morighana shrieked in delight and with hurried caution unlocked and lifted the lid on the crate. Nestled inside was a large egg of earth tone colors and she ran her hand over the glossy shell .  
  
Ribito looked at the egg curiously and then sniffed at it. She smiled in a tiger's way. She had gone with Jareth to pick out the egg for her mistress, but she knew he had given it Morighana earlier than planned in order to divert her attention from Sarah.  
  
Morighana gently lifted the egg out of its container.  
  
"What do we do with it, Ribito?"  
  
Ribito's mother instincts kicked in and her directed Morighana over to her own private area of her mistress's room with a nudge of her nose. Morighana sat on the floor and waited while the tigress bulit a suitable "nest" for it.  
  
"Clever Ribito," Morighana praised her and gently placed the egg down.  
  
"Now what?" **************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
Aurora was the first thing Jareth saw when he entered the Garden of Eternal Spring. She was curled up in the Rose Swing. How many times had he seen her like that? When she had left, the Garden seemed to have faded a bit; but it was as brilliant ever now that she had returned.  
  
He remained hidden from her view and watched her for awhile. Jareth sighed. He did not enjoy fighting her, but she wouldn't listen to reason. He took a moment to collect himself and entered the Garden.  
  
Aurora looked up when she heard footprints. A hint of a smile crossed her lips as he sat beside her and put her feet in his lap. Neither spoke. The sun filtered through the tree leaves creating shadow patterns on the walk. The wind drifted in and wove its way through the Garden carrying with it a haunting melody.  
  
"Aranjuez, a place of dreams and love..."  
  
Aurora and Jareth looked at each other, each thinking the other had spoken.  
  
"Where a rumor of crystal fountains in the garden seems to whisper to the roses..."  
  
Aurora looked away first and Jareth sighed again. A nighting gale stirred in the tree over their heads and added to wind's song.  
  
"Aranjuez, today the dry leaves without color which are swept by the wind are just reminders of the romance we once started..."  
  
The song bothered Aurora. She stole a glance at Jareth and found him staring at a large fountain just beyond a hedge. He looked as troubled as she felt.  
  
"And that we've forsaken without reason..."  
  
Morighana heard the wind and left Ribito and the egg for her window. She couldn't see the cause of the wind's song and so turned from the window and went outside; curiosity having gotten the best of her.  
  
"Maybe this love is hidden in one sunset, in a breeze or in a flower waiting for your return...."  
  
Morighana stopped before she stepped over the Garden's threshold. She saw her uncle and Aurora and heard the wind's song. She watched from a distance, silently praying that this would be the beginning of things returning to the way they had been before Aurora left and Sarah had upset their world. She held her breath in anticipation as Aurora stood up and took Jareth's hand.  
  
"Aranjuez, today the dry leaves without color which are swept by the wind, are just reminders of the romance we once started and that we've forsaked without reason..."  
  
Aurora stood facing Jareth, her eyes searching his. His expression was as always: aloof, impassive, slightly arrogant; his eyes however, were not. She reached out to brush the blond hair out of his eyes and she could see that she still had as much power over him as he had over her. Perhaps more.  
  
"In Auranjuez, my love. You and I."  
  
**************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
A wicked thought broke through the clouds of Morighana's daydream. If Jareth were here with Aurora, then that could only mean that no one was with Sarah. She ran back to her room and slid next to Ribito. She took the tigeress' face in her little hands and put her forehead against Ribito's. A slow, sinister grin spread like poison across her face.  
  
"Sarah's fun is about to be undone, Ribito. Let's go pay her a little visit."  
  
Adrenaline began to flood Ribito's system and she could feel the thrill of the hunt awakening from its hibernation. The tigeress matched Morighana's grin and her eyes blazed.  
  
Morighana called to Faith and told her to watch the egg. Then Morighana took out a viewing crystal and quickly located Sarah lost in a whirl of activity in the marketplace. Instantly, girl and tiger where there.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************************************** **************************************************************************** ***************************************  
  
Things had been going smoothly between Jareth and Aurora until the subject of Sarah came up. The two had taken a stroll further into the Garden. Arm in arm they admired the flower beds and exotic greenry that both had seen several times over. It wasn't clear who mentioned Sarah first, but it immediately murdered the romantic mood of the day.  
  
"There is no way I'm going to agree to anything you suggest until I have my neice!" Aurora shouted at him.  
  
Jareth circled her furiously, jaw set at an intense angle. "There's not a thing you can do about it, Aurora. Sarah wished to stay in the Underground. That wish is legal and binding."  
  
"But you tricked her!" she exploded. "She's a child, Jareth! A human child! You took advantage of that!"  
  
"Maybe I did," he countered with equal intesity. "But if anyone is at fault, it's you, Aurora!"  
  
Aurora looked at him dumbfounded. "And exactly how do pin this on me?!"  
  
"If you hadn't left in the first place, none of this," he spat the words at her, "none of this would have happened! You brought this upon yourself!"  
  
Aurora shook her head fiercely, trying to bite back her anger. " Don't you dare," she warned. "Don't you dare. You will not guilt me into accepting your dirty bargain!"  
  
Jareth stared at her uncomprehendingly. When he spoke again, a torrent of emotion shook his speech. "Dirty bargain!? Dirty bargain!? It wasn't a dirty bargain when you wanted to escape Daddy dearest! It was the best I could offer you! It's what you wanted and now it's a dirty bargain!?"  
  
Hatred jumped out at Aurora and made her back down. The fight seeped out of her. "Jareth, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean it like that.."  
  
"Stop!" His eyes had a wild look to them and she could see that she had pushed him too far. "It's too late for words of remorse, Princess," he voice had an eerie calm to it. "What's said is said. But I warn you. Leave now without Sarah. Leave or I will gladly let Mummy and Daddy know their little girl is here."  
  
Aurora's eyes went wide. "No, Jareth..." her voice faded at the look in his eyes. The last embers of love had gone out.  
  
"Yes," he hissed. "You think you're so grown-up, little girl. So grown-up."  
  
Aurora stumbled backwards but his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist in an iron vice. From the woods around them an eerie melody, and unfriendly tune surrounded them.  
  
Jareth held her in a steely gaze then shook his head. "No. No. I'm not letting you go so easily. You'd like to be rid of me though, wouldn't you?"  
  
Aurora began to speak, but instead yelped in pain. Jareth let go of her, giving her a rough shove.  
  
She fell on her bottom and sat there rubbing her wrist as Jareth still glared at her. The haunting music became stronger.  
  
"You can change your clothes, little girl And the way you wear your hair. You can change the color of your lipstick And even the shade your eyeshadow. But You're still the same. Still the same little girl who ran away from here. You can't hide who you are. Eventually you must face the past. Stop denying what you are. Accept it and come home. You're just a little girl. You will always be a little girl.  
  
You ran so long But not very far. The past will always be there to haunt you. The mirror will always remind you, You're just a little girl. You can't change the way things are, little girl. Just come home and be contented. You're just a little girl.  
  
Child, don't be foolish. Little girl don't be so naive. I am your past. No matter how you try to forget I am always there. You thought you'd left me far behind. But I was closer than before. Now I've come to to make you face Who you are, little girl. You're just a little girl.  
  
Daddy can't help you, Mummy can't hold you. You chose to leave their safety. You wandered from the nest. No prince will come to your aid now, little girl. You've failed the test And walked into my snare, Because after all, you're just a little girl.  
  
Little girl, how you blinded me, Blinded and decieved me Not something expected from Such a little girl. Your beauty bedazzled me, Your charms beguiled me, Quite impressive for a little girl. But it doesn't change the fact You're still a little girl.  
  
My mystery delighted you, My darkness enchanted you, Because you're a little girl. So different from the princes was I That You were instantly mine, little girl, You never stood a chance. You're such a little girl.  
  
But then you ran away little girl, Ran away to join the world. You thought I was gone, little girl. You thought I was distant memory. But not so, little girl. If you weren't such a little girl You would have known, I am always there. But you're too much of a little girl.  
  
You won't leave again, little girl. You'll take your rightful place, little girl And learn to be happy with that. You're mine little girl. You can't escape For you're my little girl.  
  
Little, little girl"  
  
By the end of his song, Aurora was in tears. He pulled her to her feet and held her close.  
  
"Sarah thought my Labyrinth was a piece of cake and like her, I bet you thought this was going to be a piece of cake as well."  
  
He paused, letting the implications of his words settle in. "Let's see how you deal with this slice: by sunset the Crystal Kingdom will know that their princess has returned."  
  
He released her and disappeared.  
  
Aurora collapsed to her knees as her world fell in on itself. She'd not only lost her neice, but now she would lose everyhting she had worked for in Sarah's realm. But most of all, she had lost Jareth. For the first time since she was five, Aurora sobbed. But it was not for Sarah or Ireland; it was for Jareth. Her cruelty had finally overtaken her and she would now have to pay for it.  
  
"Let me weep over my cruel fate and that I long for freedom. Let me weep over my cruel fate. The duel violates these images- I pray for mercy for my sufferings. Let me weep over my cruel fate and that I long for freedom." 


	11. Poor Fool, She Makes Me Laugh

Chapter 9: "Poor Fool, She Makes Me Laugh"  
  
"Poor fool she makes me laugh! If she knew the truth she'd never, ever go!"  
  
Morighana trailed Sarah at a distance, watching her with mild interest. Sarah's fascination with the marketplace piqued her curiosity; she couldn't understand what was so great about a crowed, noisy street where vendors sold things. Sarah was occupied with browsing the clothing stalls. One of the women sellers showed her a bolt of shimmering, iridescent material. Morighana assumed from the expression on Sarah's face that the woman was telling her how stunning a gown made of the fabric would look on her. The goblin princess snickered.  
  
Sarah bought the beautiful material and the woman immediately had a young boy package it with the promise that it would arrive at the Castle Beyond the Goblin City by nightfall. Sarah thanked her sweetly and moved on. She couldn't help but notice the apprehension that the vendors regarded her with when she present Jareth's ring to them and told them where to send the goods. She didn't understand their fear of the their king.  
  
Sarah grew tired and searched for a shady place to rest. As much fun as she was having she was lonely. She found a secluded little park in between two building and sat underneath a short shady tree with blue bark. She leaned against it and sighed.  
  
"I wish I had someone to keep me company."  
  
Morighana heard her cue and instantly appeared before Sarah.  
  
Sarah jumped up, startled. She made a mental note to be careful what she wished for; this wasn't the someone she had wanted.  
  
Morighana smiled in a friendly manner and approached Sarah. Sarah was on her guard and warily watched the other girl.  
  
"What do you want, Morighana?" she asked coldly.  
  
Morighana's eyes widened. "You wished for a friend, did you not?"  
  
Sarah frowned. "Yes," she replied slowly. "But we're hardly friends."  
  
Morighana laughed and shrugged. "Oh, you mean our first meeting. That didn't go very well, did it?"  
  
Sarah looked at her through narrowed eyes. She didn't trust Morighana.  
  
"Uncle Jareth set me straight." She bit her bottom lip and gave Sarah a shy glance. Curls tumbled into her eyes and made her look about twelve. "He told me all about you. "  
  
She could see Sarah wasn't taking the bait. So the wicked little bug added, "He told me how much you mean to him. And anyone that Uncle Jareth adores, then I do, too."  
  
Sarah blushed and Morighana began to reel her in. "I'm so sorry about early. Friends?"  
  
Sarah debated on whether or not to trust the girl. Her head screamed at her not to believe a word that Morighana said; but her heart wanted to hear about Jareth's adoration of her. Morighana stood there with her hand outstretched and looked harmless. Sarah's heart won. She accepted Morighana's offer of friendship. The fly had just gotten tangled in the spider's web.  
  
Sarah and Morighana sat under the tree together and Ribito slinked up to them. Sarah shrieked with fright at the sight of the colossal tiger that was nearly three times as large as a normal tiger. Silver fangs were slightly visible. Morighana shot her a disgusted look.  
  
"Don't jump into the Gorge!" she snapped. "It's just Ribito."  
  
Sarah stared at her. "You mean that thing is your pet?"  
  
"She's not a thing!" Morighana huffed. "She's an elemental tigress of fire, thank you very much. Uncle Jareth gave her to me."  
  
"Oh." Sarah calmed herself as she remembered Joy had mention the tiger.  
  
Ribito eyed Sarah hungrily; she could smell the girl's fear and it had been so long since she had hunted live prey. The tigress settled down by her mistress; Sarah inched away.  
  
"Anyway," Morighana said before Sarah could further insult Ribito. "Have you seen much of Uncle Jareth?"  
  
Sarah fiddled with a blade of grass. "No," she admitted. "He had some things to do, but we're going to spend the evening together."  
  
Morighana nodded. That's what you think! she thought. She laughed to herself. If you only knew what he was doing right now. What I wouldn't give for you to see him and Rory together!  
  
"That's really good," Morighana said. "I hope he chooses you."  
  
Sarah's brow furrowed and she looked quizzically at Morighana. "What do you mean by chooses me? You mean there's someone else?"  
  
Morighana put her hand over heart. "You didn't know? Oh, my, I've really let the cat out of the bag, haven't I?"  
  
"Morighana!" Sarah cried. "Tell me who the other girl is!"  
  
"Now, Sarah, calm down!" Morighana reached over and touched Sarah's arm. "You know how these things are. Jareth really does... love you. But you can't always have the one you love. You see, this other woman who he's been seeing is a princess and really it's only fitting that a king marry someone in his own class."  
  
Sarah slumped against the tree. Tears blurred her vision. "I should have known." How could I be so stupid! I came all this way for nothing! Her shin quivered and the tears came dangerously close to falling. "I should have known!"  
  
She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her head. Morighana allowed herself a sneer.  
  
Sarah's head suddenly jerked up. "It's not fair!"  
  
Morighana's features quickly expressed concern and distress. "No, it's not fair," she said agreed, rubbing Sarah's back in a comforting manner. "But such is life."  
  
Sarah wiped her eyes. "I wish there was something I could do!"  
  
"There is something you can do."  
  
Sarah grabbed Morighana's arm. "Anything!"  
  
A snaked-like smile slithered over Morighana's face. "You could return the Goblin's Dagger to Jareth. That would prove your love for him."  
  
Sarah's tears dried up. "It would?"  
  
Morighana nodded. "Then he'd have to choose you. True love always wins."  
  
Sarah stood up with fierce determination. "I want to see this princess!" she demanded. "I want to know who she is!"  
  
This was more than Morighana could have wished for. She slowly rose and stood eye to eye with Sarah.  
  
"You already know her."  
  
"I do?" Sarah blinked.  
  
Morighana grinned and produced her viewing crystal. "She's your aunt. Aurora."  
  
Sarah put her hands on her hips and glared and Morighana. "I don't believe you! She's not a princess!"  
  
"Oh, really?" Morighana replied coolly and held the sphere up to Sarah. "See for yourself."  
  
The sphere had frozen the image of Aurora and Jareth in the Garden of Eternal Spring.  
  
Sarah couldn't believe it! She knew about Jareth all along! Her mind reeled as she remembered the sketches of Jareth she had found in Aurora's room! She lied to me! She's trying take him from me! The green-eyed monster of jealousy roared to life and consumed Sarah. Her hazel eyes flared. I'll show her!  
  
Sarah gazed evenly at Morighana. "Where is the Goblin's Dagger?  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
The Crystal Palace rose gloriously from the eye of the Crystal Kingdom; a kingdom that had for generations stood in opposition to the Underground.  
  
The normal flow of activity was steadily taking place in the Palace when Jareth arrived unannounced and uninvited.  
  
King Adimandus was reviewing claims of a territorial dispute with his chief advisor when the intruder strolled in the throne room. The king was annoyed to be so rudely interrupted. He turned to the insolent fool and did a double take. The king closed his eyes and pressed his lips together in a tight thin line. He opened them again and shook his head. It had to be an apparition that stood before him. It had to be.  
  
Jareth stopped a few feet from the throne and gave Adimandus an exaggerated bow of mock respect.  
  
The king rose to his feet, infuriated by the arrogance and gall of the man before him. Emotion rocked his spirit and constricted his throat. The devil that stole his daughter grinned lazily at him.  
  
"Miss me?" Jareth asked rhetorically. "No?" He raised an eyebrow. "Pity. I've missed you."  
  
"What... do... you... want...Jareth?" The king's voice shook with quiet fury.  
  
"Tsk, tsk," Jareth shook his head. "That just won't do, Adimandus. You'll never make friends with an attitude like that."  
  
The king's face began to turn cherry red and the veins in his throat and forehead bulged out.  
  
"Temper, temper, my dear king," Jareth admonished him. "You'll give yourself a heart attack."  
  
Jareth sauntered over to the large, bejeweled globe of Sominus that stood near Adimandus' throne. He ran a finger over it, and then sent it spinning.  
  
"You'll not get out of here alive, Jareth!" Adimandus moved to call the guards. "You're going to pay for you did to my daughter."  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Jareth's icy warning froze the king's hand on the gold rope of the siren.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You'll never find out what happened to your delicate little flower if you do." Jareth smiled exultantly as Adimandus' hand slid down and off the rope in defeat. "That's better."  
  
"Adimandus?" The voice of Queen Lillian interrupted them. "Who are you talking to-oh!"  
  
She was rather surprised to see Jareth standing there in all his glory. His face lit up when he saw her and he hurried over to her. He gave her a bow of genuine respect. The Queen smiled slightly as he kissed the back of her right hand. Jareth had always be a charming boy.  
  
"Jareth," She returned his bow with a small curtsey, much to husband's chagrin. She allowed him to escort her to her place beside the king. Lillian knew that Jareth was not there to pay them a social call, but she wonder what his purpose for being in the Crystal Kingdom could possibly be when there was a bounty out for his capture.  
  
"Your highness," he smiled humbly, or as humbly as the Goblin King ever could. "I see that time still cannot touch your beauty."  
  
Adimandus grew increasingly annoyed with Jareth. He knew full well that Jareth's banter with Lillian and his show of deference to her was a direct display of his contempt for the king himself. Adimandus growled inaudibly.  
  
Lillian allowed herself a little laugh. "Still full of blarney, I see, Jareth."  
  
Jareth's grin grew. "Would you expect anything less?"  
  
"I suppose not." The Queen grew serious. "What brings you to the Crystal Kingdom? You risk much in coming here."  
  
Before answering her, Jareth turned to Adimandus with a disdainful glare. "You could learn comething about diplomacy from your wife."  
  
Jareth gave the Queen his full attention. "I risk life and limb," he said in jest, then continued seriously, "to bring you news of your daughter, Aurora."  
  
The queen started and reached out to him. He moved closer to her and Adimandus reached for his sword, but Lillian stopped him.  
  
"Go on, Jareth," she urged. Her regal composure was back in place, but her eyes sought his imploringly.  
  
"She has returned to Sominus."  
  
"LIAR!!" the King bellowed, leaping to his feet, sword drawn and pointed at Jareth.  
  
Jareth whipped around, glowering at the older man. "Am I?" He pulled a viewing crystal from the folds of his cloak. "See for yourself."  
  
The hazy sphere cleared, revealing Aurora in the Garden of Eternal Spring. She was lying on her stomach, her face half-hidden in her arms. She looked disheveled and worn and the tears stains were visible on her cheeks. But she was no longer sobbing; she was sleeping.  
  
Lillian's heart leapt into her throat, unable to believe that her daughter was really in Sominus. She looked at Jareth, an unspoken plea on her gracefully aging face. Jareth nodded in such a way that he seemed to be saying. "This is no trick; she is really here."  
  
This turn of events only made Adimandus more belligerent.  
  
"What have you done to her, you monster!" he thundered.  
  
Jareth snapped the crystal close and the Queen's heart fell as the image of Aurora disappeared.  
  
The Goblin King sprang toward Adimandus with the ease of a cat and knocked the blade of the sword to the side.  
  
"Watch how you speak to me, old man!" he hissed furiously. "Or your daughter will suffer the consequence of your insolence!"  
  
Fearing that her husband would further anger Jareth, she stepped in between the two men.  
  
"Jareth."  
  
Her touch caused Jareth to back down. He looked at her and the fire in his eyes faded when he saw her kind features.  
  
"I assure you, your Highness, Aurora has not been harmed.'  
  
A corner of the queen's mouth turned up. "I know that, Jareth," she said tenderly.  
  
Jareth seemed a bit thrown by her civility towards him and by the fact that she apparently did not share her husband's sentiments about him.  
  
"May we see her?"  
  
"Don't you dare grovel before him and ask his permission to see OUR daughter!"  
  
"Adimandus, please!" Her sharp tone silence him temporarily. The king glared at her. Did no one respect his authority?  
  
"I am king here!" he spat. "I will not ask him or anyone else for permission to see my own daughter and my wife won't either!"  
  
Lillian turned to him, trying to quiet him, but it was too late; Jareth was already lashing back.  
  
"Your daughter she may be, but you forget she is my betrothed!"  
  
The Queen threw up her has in defeat; her husband had just put an end to any chance of a peaceful settlement with Jareth.  
  
"NO!" Adimandus' voice shook the walls throughout the entire wing of the Palace. Lillian heard ceramics shattered on the marble floor. *Not again!* she moaned inwardly.  
  
Jareth shook out his cloak and stared the King down.  
  
"Accept it or not. It matters not to me. But her chains still belong to me- I have no intention of releasing her from our covenant."  
  
"No," Adimandus raised the sword again and seemed to swell to twice his normal size. He looked positively frightening as he advanced toward Jareth.  
  
The Goblin King was not impressed.  
  
"You will bring her back or I'll-"  
  
"Or you'll what?" Jareth cut him off with a sneer. "Storm the Underground? Send all the knights in shining armour to her rescue? Have you forgotten what happened the last time you did that? They failed and they will fail once more if you are daft enough try such a foolish feat again."  
  
Adimandus prepared to bring the sword down on the defiant fiend, Lillian uttered a cry, but Jareth did not move.  
  
"If a scout so much as sets foot over the Bridge of Adon, you'll never see your daughter again. Furthermore, I no longer care to discuss Aurora with you. From this point on, I will speak only to the Queen. Don't defy me on this, Adimandus. Things more terrible than you can imagine will result if you attempt to interfere."  
  
Adimandus brought the sword down, hard and heavy, but Jareth was gone before the weapon ever came near the place where he stood.  
  
**************************************************************************** *********************************** **************************************************************************** ***********************************  
  
Sarah was impatient to hear about the Goblin's Dagger and Morighana knew it, but deliberately delayed her tale.  
  
Sarah paced in front of the tree, arms folded, fists clenched, brow furrowed, jaw set at a determined angle.  
  
"Morighana," she demanded. "Tell me where the Goblin's Dagger is."  
  
Morighana did not take well to being ordered about by anyone except Jareth. She raised her perfect eyebrows and gave Sarah an warning glare.  
  
"You might want to sit down, "she replied coolly. "I won't permit you to go traipsing about the Underground looking for a relic you know nothing about. You will learn its history and importance BEFORE I reveal it's location." Morighana smiled to herself and relished the moment that she was finally able to say those words to someone else. (For explanation of this comment please see The Goblin Princess Learns Her Lessons, also on this site).  
  
Rather put out, Sarah complied and sat down in front of Morighana. "Go on," she said.  
  
Morighana gave her another cool glance to remind her who was in charge and that she did nothing before she was ready. She didn't care for Sarah's cheekiness and didn't want the girl believing she had some sort of authority in the Underground.  
  
"Long ago," she began, " Wisdom, Joy, Order, and Hope ruled the Underground in an era known as the Reign of Good Governance. The rulers were good, noble, humble, and meek. They only wanted one thing and that was to make their subjects as happy as possible and to do good deeds and most importantly- not to be remembered for doing them."  
  
Morighana paused with the purpose of making Sarah wait. In time she continued.  
  
"During this time every Goblin King had to take the Oath of Anonimity, swearing that no one would know of his charitable works and never do anything with the intention of making a legacy for himself.  
  
Another thing about the Kings were that they had no real power; they could only suggest ideas which were put to a vote amongst the citizens. This worked quite well within the Labyrinth and the Underground, but the other kingdoms in Sominus did not recognize a king who had no power over his people. There was nothing about the Goblin King to distinguish him from his subject and was therefore kicked out of conventions with the other kings because they thought he was a commoner and he had no proof otherwise.  
  
And so, the Great Elf- the Blacksmith Elf- was commissioned to forge a dagger for the king. The Great Elf fashioned the only dagger he ever made- a dagger with a wicked-looking blade made of pure silver and flecked with diamonds. The handle had elaborate, intricate silver moldings that wove about large red garnets. It was named the Goblin's Dagger and the kings of Sominus were duly impressed by it.  
  
It was the creation of the Goblin's Dagger and the power it gave to its wielder that actually triggered the beginning of the Great Collapse of Good Governance in the Labyrinth. For the Goblin rulers began to exploit the Oath of Anonmity by assuming aliases in order to be remember in the history books for their deeds. They became vain and conceited about these assumed names as though they were their real names. The rulers also began to force their subjects to as they wanted. Many arguments ensued over who should be the sole wielder of the Dagger and the Goblin King won the battle for it. From then on, the Goblin's Dagger was passed down through that king's family until the Fae High Council was formed after the Great Collapse of Good Governance . When the High Council saw how much power the Goblin King had with Goblin's Dagger they deemed it necessary to somehow prevent the King from being the Keeper of the Goblin's Dagger.  
  
You see, the Dagger was a symbol of goodness and honesty and all other noble attributes and it was believed that the wielder of the Dagger, too, possessed those attributes and therefore was never questioned when he wanted something and allowed him to do as he pleased whether his motives were good or bad. The High Council saw that with each subsequent generation, the Goblin Kings became more and more wicked. They felt that only someone virtuous should be allowed the be the Keeper. But they had a slight predicament. They could not remove the Dagger from the Goblin King's family and it seemed that all the Do-Gooders of the family were long since dead. Somehow it was uncovered that in every generation, one Do-Gooder was born and hidden away or disowned by the family because their decency was an embarassment. When the High Council discovered this, they ruled that the Do-Gooder should be the Keeper of the Goblin's Dagger, thus removing the power from the Goblin King, as no Do-Gooder was ever king."  
  
By the end of Morighana tale, which was, surprisingly, the truth, Sarah was thoroughly absorbed in the story and full of questions, all of which Morighana ignored.  
  
Sarah leaned back on her hands and chewed on her bottom lip.  
  
"Morighana, I don't understand something."  
  
"No kidding," the Goblin Princess muttered.  
  
"Why isn't Jareth the Keeper of the Goblin's Dagger? He's good and honest and all those things."  
  
Morighana shot her an offended glare and was about to defend her uncle when she thought better of it.  
  
"Well, you see," she replied reticently. "The Fae High Council has always had a grudge against Uncle Jareth and when Grandpapa made him king ,even though he was not the first born son, the High Council refused to give the Dagger to him in order to continue perpetrating the vicious lie that our family is villainous." Morighana gave her a sad smile. "Uncle Jareth is the rightful Keeper of the Goblin's Dagger and, Sarah, he needs the Dagger in order to restore Good Governance in the Labyrinth."  
  
Sarah nodded seriously. "What a perfectly awful Council! I'll do anything to help Jareth."  
  
Morighana held back a growl; she hated the way Sarah referred to her uncle without a title as though she was somehow equal with him.  
  
Morighana stood up and so did Ribito. Sarah quickly followed them, maintaining a safe distace from the tigress.  
  
"I don't know if you can do this," Morighana said doubtfully. "Though it's easy enough to get to the Keeper of the Goblin's Dagger, there is the matter of getting it a way from her and then getting it back to Jareth."  
  
Sarah laughed. "Morighana, I beat Jareth's Labyrinth, remember? This'll be a piece of cake! Where is the Keeper?"  
  
That's what you think! Morighana fumed silently. How dare this insignificant human girl laugh at the Goblin King. Now more that ever the atrocious princess was determined to teach Sarah a lesson she'd never forget.  
  
"Oh, the Keeper resides on a little island in the Lake of Tears. The Isle of Abandonment."  
  
Sarah smiled confidently. "Just tell me how to get there."  
  
"Wish yourself there."  
  
"Easy enough." Sarah winked at Morighana. "I'll be back soon!"  
  
Morighana gave her an encouraging smile. "Good luck," she waved as Sarah made her wish.  
  
What Morighana never mentioned to Sarah was that no one ever came back from the Isle of Abandonment. A wish can get you there, but it can't get you out.  
  
**************************************************************************** ***************************************** **************************************************************************** *****************************************  
  
Aurora awoke sometime in the mid-afternoon, groggy and stiff. She sat up slowly and brushed her hair out of her face. She was alone; even Kemper had left her. She sighed as she looked around. Slowly, she stood up, feeling distinctly different. Unconsciously, her agenda had changed and Sarah was no longer priority. Besides, Jareth had won that round.  
  
Jareth. Aurora wondered where he was. The Crystal Kingdom perhaps? She laughed bitterly wondering how her parents would take the news. Guilt and sadness tugged at her heart, but was stifled by a darkness.  
  
Aurora walked out of the Garden and followed the Castle wall around to the far side of the fortress. She glanced around quickly before pulling out a lose stone. A small entrance slid open and Aurora vanished inside.  
  
She made her way through the concealed passageway. She turned right, continued on, then turned left and stopped. She felt along the wall and her hand slid over a small knob. She pushed the knob and another door slid up.  
  
Aurora stepped out into one of the rooms in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. But it wasn't just any room- it was her room. She smiled slightly to see that nothing had been moved; everything was just as she had left it.  
  
She didn't dawdle and went straight to the closet. She rifled through it and a mysterious smile spread over her face.  
  
She pulled the clothing out of the wardrobe and discarded of her old clothes. She cleaned herself up and slipped into the familiar garments. Still smiling to herself, she went to wait for Jareth in the throne room. It was not over yet; she would get Sarah back yet and Jareth, too.  
  
Aurora was fully capable of playing as dirty as Jareth and he was going to find out just how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted. 


	12. Stranger Than You Dreamt It

Chapter 10: "Stranger Than You Dreamt It"  
  
". no thoughts within her head, but thoughts of joy! No dreams within her heart, but dreams of love!"  
  
The Lake of Tears sadly lapped the beaches of the Forlorn Forgotten Shores, a depressing expanse of land that would dishearten the most cheerful of souls and cause them to go into mourning for no particular reason. It was a popular spot for goblins when they wished to wallow in misery and self- pity.  
  
In the center of the Lake was a small island surrounded by dark, foreboding rock cliffs that rose precipitously out of the waves and formed a gloomy prison about it. This was the Isle of Abandonment. Dark clouds always hung low in the sky and when it wasn't raining and cold, it was foggy and cold. The sun never shone and the air was never warm.  
  
The Isle of Abandonment was the most God-forsaken piece of rock that ever existed, made even more dreary and horrid by the garden and cottage that vainly tried to look inviting. The cottage made a commendable attempt to brighten its environment, but the leaden atmosphere squelched the bright blues and yellows and whites of the little edifice. The flowers in the garden, tried to hold their heads up with pride, but they, too, succumbed to the hopeless situation.  
  
Sarah realized her foolishness in trusting Morighana the instant her foot touched the Isle. As she looked around trying to understand where she was, tears welled up in her eyes and despair seemed swallow her. She thought she could hear Morighana laughing, the laugh a soprano version of her uncle's.  
  
Sarah whirled around to face her rival, but Morighana, of course, was not there. Only the black-barked skeleton trees were there to leer at her. She turned and stumbled as she began to run, in an effort to escape the desolation that clawed at her.  
  
The faster Sarah ran, the faster the tears fell. They blurred her vision and blinded her. She kept running, her breath coming in sporadic, uneven gasps. The pitiful howling of the wind filled her ears; it cried in anguish and heartache and filled her head with its sighs. Sarah pushed on, not knowing where she was going. The haunted wail of the wind was right on her heels and about to overtake her. Her foot caught on an exposed tree root and turned her ankle sharply to the side. Sarah hit the frozen ground hard. Her beautiful gown snagged a thorn bush as she fell and tore a gaping hole in the material. The pain in her ankle and her ruined dress made her sob so hard that she thought her heart would surely shatter from the unfairness of it all.  
  
All she wanted to was get away from the awful island, but she didn't know how. The thought only served to make her cry harder.  
  
"Morighana!" she screamed to the sky. "I hate you!!!"  
  
Sarah collapsed and buried her head in her arms.  
  
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Jareth returned to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City in a less than jovial mood. For the moment, he had forgotten Sarah and was instead brooding over his visit to the Crystal Kingdom. The goblins that littered the Castle hadn't yet realized that their king had arrived. A pot went whizzing through the air and crashed noisily against the stone wall.  
  
Jareth muttered something incoherent and pushed past them, kicking them out of his way when necessary.  
  
One of the larger goblins was chasing the smaller ones around, swatting at them with a scepter. Pottery splintered at Jareth's feet and he roared at them to cease their noise. He held out his hand for the scepter, snatched it when the goblin shuffled up to him, and whacked the offending creature on the head.  
  
The Goblin King was then able to proceed to the throne room unimpeded. He ordered Gorjeff, one of the two goblins guarding the chamber's entrance, not to allow anyone to disturb him for any reason. Gorjeff, one of the brighter goblins, saluted his understanding at the unspoken threat in Jareth's eyes should he be bothered.  
  
The throne room was dark; the heavy drapery had not been pulled back from the windows. Jareth frowned; the servants should have been in earlier. But he was in too foul a mood to really care. In fact, the darkness rather suited his disposition and appealed to him. His eyes swept over the room and froze on his throne. A female figure reclined elegantly on the fixture.  
  
Jareth's demeanor changed and he raised his eyebrows in suspicion. His first thought on the identity of the woman was that it was Sarah. As his eyes adjusted to the shadowy room, he could see that his visitor was taller and slimmer than Sarah and had a more sophisticated air about her.  
  
A corner of Jareth's mouth turned up in an intrigued smirk. He progressed closer to figure who had yet to move. His grin grew at the sight of fiery tresses that ignited the black gown the woman wore.  
  
Aurora.. Jareth slowly removed his gloves one finger at a time, without ever taking his gaze from her.  
  
He stopped at the foot of the steps that led up to the throne and the woman rose from her seat. Leisurely, she stood and made her way down the steps to him. Jareth watched her with wonder as she stopped on the last step, a flirtatious smile on her face and in her eyes. She raised her hands and settled them on her hips. Jareth smiled brazenly at her choice of attire. She had resurrected the dress that was nicknamed Rebellion. Aurora had commissioned it to be made after she left the Crystal Kingdom for the Underground. Out of the closets full of clothing, Rebellion was her favorite.  
  
It was the antithesis of the clothing she had worn in the Crystal Kingdom, which were light, bright, usually in pastel hues. Rebellion was a lethal shade of black that seemed to shimmer at certain times and silhouetted her lithe figure. The halter-style straps of the bodice snaked around her neck and down her back, held together by a blood red ruby clasp. The entire bodice was trimmed in a gold pattern that resembled the Labyrinth. The skirt flared out just below her hips and fishtailed in the back. Fingerless gloves that matched the bodice swathed her arms up to her shoulders and revealed the gold-tipped talons of her nails.  
  
*That's what a Goblin Queen looks like*, Jareth thought appreciatively. *Morag would have approved.*  
  
Despite the memories that were rekindled by Aurora's appearance and his desire to forget the episode in the Garden of Eternal Spring, the Goblin King was not entirely seduced by her. He knew she was a woman on a mission and would use all the trickery and guile she knew to obtain her objective. He smiled to himself.  
  
Aurora raised a hand to his shoulder and lightly rested her fingers against the broad collar of his overcoat. She tried to read his reaction, but his eyes were veiled. Jareth took her hand and Aurora's pulse quickened. She was worried that he was still angry with her.  
  
Jareth settled into his throne and beckoned for Aurora to sit with him. She slid onto his lap, somewhat suspicious. He said nothing and Aurora ran her fingers throughout his hair. She felt him relax and he closed his eyes. Aurora could see his defenses dropping and she continued to massage his scalp with her nails. She would have taken advantage to of the situation if it had been anyone else. But this wasn't anyone else; it was Jareth. She place her cheek against his with true affection- temporary truce had been called.  
  
After a while Jareth sighed heavily and a worried frown marred Aurora's attractive features. She remembered that her grandfather had sighed like that when he had been very ill. His haughtiness was gone, replace by fatigue. Aurora wrapped both arms around his neck and he responded by letting his head rest against her shoulder. She held him close, fearful that Sarah's triumph over him had caused more damage than she had originally thought. What bothered her most was the idea that Jareth's restoration after his defeat was only cosmetic.  
  
*This is my fault,* she thought holding back tears that threatened to fall. *I should have come back after Sarah went through the Labyrinth.*  
  
**************************************************************************** *******************  
  
*Carrick Dunn had been humming with activity in preparation for a dinner party. Aurora's Aunt Mabel was throwing it in honor of her niece and her niece's co-worker Thomas Nolan, a handsome, young Irishman with raven hair and peculiar gold eyes. Their fledgling publishing company was expanding and Mabel had wanted to do something special for the two.  
  
Aurora had been getting dressed for the evening when Mabel called her into the study to take a long-distance call from America. It was Sarah, nearly bursting as she recounted her trip into the Labyrinth.  
  
Aurora had dismissed her niece's tale as just that- a tale. *Linda would kill me if she knew I was the one who was filling her fifteen year old daughter's head with stories of Jareth and the Underground*, she had chuckled to herself. She was sure they were what had sparked Sarah's strange dream.  
  
The party had moved from the dining hall to the lounge and Aurora had slipped out to get more ice. There was none in the kitchen and she had to fetch it from the icebox in the cellar. The hall and stairwell had been dark and she hadn't bothered turning on a light.  
  
When she had returned to the dark hall, a figure dressed in white appeared before her. She had dropped the ice when she realized that it was Jareth. Immediately, she knew something was wrong. Her conversation with Sarah came back to her. Had Sarah's story more than fantasy?  
  
Aurora had run to him, ecstatic to see him, but something had to be very wrong for him come to her when so many people were in the castle. She had hugged him and he had returned her embrace without strength. Aurora had pulled back from and held him at arms length, studying him. He was.. utterly defeated. And it pained her to see her proud King in such a state.  
  
"Oh, Jareth," she had lovingly cradle his face. "What happened?"  
  
Jareth told her of Sarah's run through the Labyrinth. Aurora shook her head in disbelief. Sarah had been telling the truth.  
  
He had laughed ruefully when Aurora told him of Sarah's call. "She's your niece, huh? Figures. No wonder she defeated me."  
  
"Jareth, I'm so sorry.."  
  
"You have no reason to be," he had sighed. "It's not your fault."  
  
That consoled Aurora little. If Sarah hadn't been related to her, she mostly likely would not have conquered Jareth. But then, maybe that had nothing to do with it.  
  
"I must return," he had said moving away. His eyes asked what he was too proud to verbalize.  
  
"No, you're not going anywhere."  
  
Mabel had entered the kitchen looking for Aurora and when she saw Jareth, she quickly assessed the situation and directed her niece to take the Goblin King upstairs. She would handle the guests.  
  
Aurora took Jareth up to her room and settled him into her bed. He immediately fell asleep. She reached for his hand, wondering if he would make it through the night- he was so pale.  
  
Jareth had remained at Carrick Dunn until he recovered enough to return to the Underground and Aurora had devoted all of her time to him to the point of almost neglecting the publishing company.  
  
The night that Jareth left, he had asked her to go with him. And she had almost gone until Mabel reminded her that she had to offer some explanation to Thomas at least, and couldn't just disappear- it would cause too much trouble.  
  
Aurora had kissed him good-bye with the promise that she would follow as soon as she tied up all the loose ends. Jareth had taken her chin between his thumb and forefinger and had kissed her sadly one last time. They both knew she'd never follow through.  
  
**************************************************************************** ******************************************  
  
"Your parents are well," Jareth murmured, startling Aurora.  
  
"Are they?" she asked wistfully. Truth be told, she missed her mother dearly and regretted the broken relationship with her father and wondered often about her sisters. Aurora had left the Crystal Kingdom and ultimately Sominus in order to establish a lifetime of exploration, but all she had established was a lifetime of regret.  
  
"Your mother would like to see you," Jareth lifted his head to look at her.  
  
She swallowed, looking timid and young. "And my father?"  
  
"I don't know if he really wants you back or just doesn't want me to have you."  
  
Aurora buried her face in his neck. They sat in silence until Aurora raised her head abruptly.  
  
"Jareth? Where's Morighana?"  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
The skies over the Isle of Abandonment opened up and dumped a torrent of rain onto the Lake on Tears and forced Sarah to find shelter.  
  
Her ankle was painfully swollen and prevented Sarah from moving with much speed or efficiency. She was drenched and shivering by the time she found the little cottage. Without a thought as to who might live there, she staggered up to the door, found it unlocked, and shoved it open.  
  
Someone was there. A distressed woman who was dressed in servants' garb stared at her. Sarah sneezed and gave the woman a pleading look. The woman's features softened and she hurried over to Sarah. Sarah hobbled over to a chair the woman pointed at and sat down, her ankle throbbing even more. The woman left the room and returned with two more women and an armful of blankets, towels, and clothes.  
  
Then women went to work and before Sarah knew it, they had dried her body and hair, changed her into dry clothes, and settled her into a couch in a tiny living room. The first woman who helped her propped her foot up on a small pillow and gently patted her leg.  
  
"There now, dearie," the woman cooed. "Feelin' some better?"  
  
Sarah nodded. "Yes, thank you," she said politely, giving the woman a smile of gratitude.  
  
"My name's Mona," she said. "How in Sominus did you end up on the Isle of Abandonment?"  
  
"I wished myself here," she mumbled in embarrassment.  
  
Mona gazed at her knowingly. "Morighana tricked you, didn't she?"  
  
Sarah seemed surprised. "Yes, she did. How did you know?"  
  
Mona laughed. "Because such is Morighana's way. She must have thought you somehow threatened Jareth."  
  
Sarah sighed. "I don't know what she thought. I think she's just spiteful."  
  
Mona shrugged. "That could be it, too."  
  
"What is this place?" Sarah asked looking around the depressing room.  
  
"It's-" Mona was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming.  
  
"Mona?" a young voice called the woman and she hastily stood up.  
  
"Excuse me," she nodded to Sarah and left the room.  
  
Sarah listened as Mona spoke in hushed tones to whoever had just come in. She leaned against arm of the couch, dejectedly. She heard shuffling in the kitchen and then footsteps.  
  
A beautiful young woman entered the living. Sarah sat up too quickly and pain coursed up her leg. She grimaced and winced.  
  
The woman came closer, scrutinizing the stranger on her couch. Her large eyes widened and reminded Sarah of a doe's eyes.  
  
Sarah furrowed her brow and studied the other one. She looked familiar. Sarah determined her to be close to her in age with an air of maturity not commonly associated with someone so young. She was a pre-Raphaelite beauty with an eatheral sort of glow about her. Her dark hair was plaited skillfully and held up by tiny, delicate flowers and baby breath. Her skin was as smooth and flawless as fine porcelain and her cheeks were tinted with a delicate blush.  
  
Her clothing was a simple cream gown, but fit her strikingly, and made Sarah feel like an Ugly Duckling.  
  
"Is it you?" the girl asked excitedly, gathering her skirts and sitting at Sarah's feet. "Sarah?"  
  
Her voice brought it all into focus for Sarah and she gasped and for first time smiled.  
  
"Anna?" 


	13. Interlude

Interlude:  
  
Far away in the mortal realm, a child cried mournfully. The wind caught hold of the sorrow-laden sobs and bore them swiftly to the ears of the infant's mother and father. The mother's heart quickened at the sound of her baby. She longed to return and comfort him, but circumstances held her fast and would not release her to him. The father, equally anxious to tend to his wailing offspring, tensed as he listened to his son's despair. The child was not in any danger- just lonely and scared.  
  
The nursemaid came to the child's aid and did her best to soothe him. In time he quieted, though still not fully consoled.  
  
The mother's heart ached with a painful emptiness as the cries died away. The father loosened his grip on the chair's arm. There was nothing they could do until the situation in their world was resolved.  
  
The child lay in his crib, rubbing his eyes with his tiny hands. He whimpered occasionally, his face constorted with distress. Eventually, he fell into a fitful slumber and a dark shadow fell over his bedding.  
  
Unruly hair as black ink spilled into gleaming golden eyes that were illuminated by the wild glint of madness. They watched the sleeping babe.  
  
Baby, baby in your bed, Close your eyes and nod your head. As the shadows creep upon the wall, As the boogeymen stalk the halls. In this darkness try to sleep, Baby, baby, mine to keep. 


	14. Beyond The Point Of No Return

Chapter 11:Beyond The Point Of No Return  
  
"Past the point of no return. The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn...Beyond the point of no return."  
  
  
  
Morighana tried to ignore a nagging feeling that gnawed at her mind. Her carefree gait slowed to a sluggish crawl as though she was suddenly weighed down by a heavy burden. Her shoulders drooped and her feet plowed deep paths in the dusty road. A heavy-hearted sigh escaped from deep within her.  
  
Ribito nudged her mistress's hand, disturb by the girl's obvious distress.  
  
The Goblin Princess came to a stop. Her body simply refused to move further; she had not even the will to wish herself home. The tigress circled worriedly around the area where Morighana had collapsed to her knees. Midnight curls tumbled in disarray over thin shoulders, that heaved in an off-beat rhythm .  
  
Poor Morighana. The little Undergroundling was at a loss. Perhaps sending Sarah to the Isle of Abandonment was the wrong thing to have done. Jareth would not be pleased; he had told her not to interfere.  
  
No, no! Morighana shook away the remorseful thoughts. I did do the right thing! If I hadn't Sarah would have destroyed the Underground and ruined Papa! I hate you, Sarah! May the Seven Towers haunt your every waking moment and torment your dreams! I hate you! I hate you!  
  
Tears of pure silver rolled down the princess child cheeks. The tears of an Undergroundling could be bottled and sold at a great price; but Morighana paid no heed to the precious tears. They continued to pour down her angled features, embedding themselves into her garments, glittering like a thousand minute diamonds.  
  
Ribito felt helpless as she watched her charge weep. In a motherly fashion, the fiery tigress lovingly stroked the mass of curls with her immense paw. She sat close and let out a tiger's sigh. She knew the cause for her mistress's distress. The human girl from beyond the portal had brought the chaos of her world with her into Sominus. Though it was very easy to blame the girl for these problems- she also knew that Sarah was not entirely responsible. In many ways, Ribito faulted Jareth, more than anyone else. His selfishness and sometimes childish behavior had lent itself to the detrioration of the present state of affairs. His failure to properly handle Sarah's first trip through the Labyrinth was the source of such trouble. If only the Goblin King had not let his pain over Aurora's departure color his judgement when Sarah wished the babe away. If he had not tried to make the Princess jealous by showering affection on the human girl with that ball, they would not be in this state.  
  
Ribito shook her massive head in resignation. In the end, the wise tigress concluded, it did not matter who was at fault; all parties involved were guilty of handling the situation poorly.  
  
The fiery creature sniffed the air with apprehension. The wind bore news of the world beyond Sominus. Trouble was coming; she could sense a sinister force looming on the horizon between fantasy and reality; trying to bridge the worlds. Ribito involuntarily pulled Morighana close to her in a protective hold.  
  
The tigress steeled herself against the wind's bitter herald; the worst was yet to come- He was returning.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
He lifted the sleeping child carefully out of his crib.  
  
"Little baby, baby little," he cooed, cradling the infant in the crook of his arm. "Where's Mummy and Daddy? Mummy and Daddy's where?"  
  
Step by step, he inched towards an open window. His step were unsteady and intoxicated. Several times he stumble, once he nearly dropped the child.  
  
This world that he was trapped in had ruined his once astute mind. Such were the effects of reality on one such as he. Losing one's mind was not a quick or pleasant experience. It did not occur without one's knowing, rather one was acutely aware of one's fading grip on sanity. He shook off the morbid memories. His erratic thoughts turned to the window's view.  
  
The window revealed to him a world that he had long since been banished from. But the human girl, she had reopened that portal that had been closed to him. He tossed his handsome head back and laughed- a bizarre, strangled laugh. The girl had read the Thirteenth Chapter and, unwittingly, freed him from his prison.  
  
The child in his arms stirred as though subconsciously aware that a very bad person was holding him. He slipped a hand into his breast pocket and dusted the babe's eye lids with the glittery contents. The child went limp against him.  
  
He returned his attention to the bi-level landscape before him. Anticipation tingled up his spine. He could almost taste his power returning. He only had to cross the threshold..  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"What on earth are you doing here!?!" Sarah finally managed to sputter after spending several minutes staring at the elegant beauty before her.  
  
The other girl gave Sarah a shy, slightly sheepish smile.  
  
"I know you must have a million questions, my dear friend," she said. Her voice had a gentle, soothing lilt to it that immediately put Sarah at ease. "But first you must rest. Mona," the girl motioned to the kindly woman who had tended to Sarah, "has informed me of your situation."  
  
Sarah nodded numbly, her thoughts spinning at this new turn-of-events.  
  
The girl identified as Anna stood up and walked to the head of the couch that her friend was reclining on. She knelt down and took Sarah's hand, her eyes shining in merriment.  
  
"I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have you here. I've missed you so, Sarah!"  
  
For the first time since she had arrived, a smile lit every corner of Sarah's face as happiness filled her heart.  
  
"Oh, Anna!" she exclaimed wrapping the girl in a tight hug. "I've had a perfectly awful time here! I'm so glad to finally have a friend that I can trust!"  
  
Anna smiled sympathetically as she returned the embrace.  
  
"Well," she grinned, "any situation looks brighter with a companion. But, Sarah, how did you managed to find me?"  
  
"By accident," Sarah admitted and settled back against the downy pillows behind her.  
  
She tucked a lock of chestnut hair behind her ear and proceeded to tell Anna about her recent exploits.  
  
Anna listened intently, her expression growing more and more solemn as the story proceeded.  
  
Sarah's tale concluded with a recounting of Morighana's spiteful deeds.  
  
Anna bit her bottom lip, regarding Sarah with large ocean blue eyes. She gripped her knees with her hands and then stood up.  
  
"Sarah." Anna's quiet voice was barely audible. With her back to her friend, she ran her long, delicate fingers over the molding on the mantle above the meager fireplace.  
  
"Yes?" Sarah wrinkled her nose. She was disappointed that Anna had not joined her in assessing how horrid the malevolent Goblin Princess was.  
  
"Sarah, there is something you must know."  
  
Anna turned to face her, her angelic features marred by a deep frown.  
  
Sarah began to feel uneasy again and her pulse quickened. She tried to swallow, but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.  
  
"Sarah," she said once more in a singular tone. "Jareth's Queenie is not a myth. She does exist."  
  
"Oh," Sarah let out a breath that she had been holding. "Is that all?" She laughed nervously. "Morighana told me as much. I just didn't believe her completely."  
  
"Sarah." The quiet intensity in which the girl spoke disturbed her greatly. "That's not all." She paused a beat, not certain how to break the news to her friend.  
  
"Sarah, I am Jareth's Queenie. My name is Izella."  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
Aurora tapped her long fingernails against the arm of the Goblin's Throne, her brow furrowed in contemplation while Jareth paced the area in front of her.  
  
The princess cast a worried glance at the Goblin King who was intent upon etching a hole in the stone floor. Her thoughts turned to her niece whom she had yet to find. She was concerned about Sarah, though she knew the girl was relatively safe so long as she remained in the Underground.  
  
"Rory." Jareth's voice broke through her clouded musings.  
  
She looked at him quizzically as he shifted his weight from foot to foot with nervous energy.  
  
Jareth ran an ungloved hand through his feathery hair. His mouth tried unsuccessfully to form the words he wished to voice. He fumbled with his speech as he struggled with his pride and ego: the obstacles between him and an apology.  
  
Finally, he clamped his mouth shut, lips pressed tightly together, having given up completely. He seemed disgusted with himself but covered it with a hasty shrug of dismissal.  
  
Aurora smiled ruefully to herself and rose from her seat. She wrapped her arms about Jareth's waist and lightly leaned her cheek against his shoulder.  
  
"I forgive you," she murmured against the soft leather of his coat. "They would have found out anyway."  
  
The corner of the Goblin King's mouth lifted and he seemed mildly relieved. He ran a finger down her cheek.  
  
"Morighana has been too quiet," he stated darkly. "I'm afraid she may gotten to Sarah."  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Morighana's meanderings had lead her to the far side of the Haunting Woods. She could barely see the Bridge of Adon which led into the Crystal Kingdom. Before her loomed the ominous fortress of the Seven Towers. She had never spent anytime there; Jareth steadfastly refused to allow her to have any association with the treacherous empire- the only thing he had ever denied her.  
  
Not that she even cared to be reminded that she was of a place which tried numerous times to murder her father. Jareth's brother, Robin, her biological father, had habored bitter resent against his younger brother for decades. It began when her grandfather gave the Goblin Throne, Robin's birthright, to Jareth. It grew over years in part because Jareth had always been their mother's favorite son. Hatred gave way to violence and Robin used all sorts of devious mean to try to do away with the Goblin King. But Jareth was far more grounded and clever than the demented Robin and avoiding the rival king was simple.  
  
When Jareth and Aurora first became betrothed, King Adimandus put a bounty out for Jareth's dead or alive capture and Robin showed up in the Underground eager to call a truce. In order to protect his brother and family or so he claimed. The Goblin King was too smart to trust his ilk, but played along anyway. Robin appeared truly reformed on the surface, but he was actually plotting against Jareth. One night an assassin from the Crystal Kingdom somehow managed to penetrate the Underground's defences. It was a night Morighana remembered all too well.  
  
She was only seven on that fateful moon. She had awakened from a terrible nightmare and was wandering through the Castle halls trying to find Jareth's room. That was when she saw Robin, whom she referred to as Uncle Robin for she didn't yet know he was her real father, speaking with a fierce looking man dressed in black The man carried a nasty dagger dipped in blood.  
  
They spoke in dark, frightening tones and Morighana hid behind a door. They suddenly froze as approaching footsteps were heard. It was Jareth, unaware that he had company.  
  
The man in black slipped behind the door as Jareth opened it. The two brother faced each other coldly. Morighana could not hear what they said for her attention was riveted to the man behind the door. She saw him raise the dagger above his head ready to plunge it into her father's back. The child cried out in alarm, startling all three. It was just enough of a diversion to give Jareth a chance to fight back. There was scuffle. Morighana hid her face in her nightgown sobbing.  
  
She raised her head in time see the evil glint of the dagger before it slashed into its victim. Morighana fled to Jareth's room and cried herself into a fitful sleep.  
  
The following morning, she awoke, not in bed but in her father's arms. Jareth, uninjured, sat in a large rocking chair, his head resting against the window ledge as he slept. That evening, they attended the burial of Robin of the Seven Towers. As they walked back to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, Morighana had vowed that no one would ever have a chance to harm Jareth in anyway so long as she could help it.  
  
Remembering that vow, the older and perhaps wiser Morighana stared at the Seven Towers. Even if Jareth hated her for it, she had to protect him from the wiles of Sarah, whatever the cost. Jareth was all she had. She couldn't lose him. Ever.  
  
The wind ran through her hair, billowing the curls out behind her like a flag. Stoically, she studied the horizon and sang softly to herself as she thought about her uncle.  
  
"From my first moment you gave me wings Let me fly and believed in my dreams From that first moment you cherished me so The journey through life would be hard with out you You gave me all I have and all I know From my first moment you would be there In your arms lay the strength I now bear From that first moment each day I have you As seasons they change but your heart stays the same You gave me all I have and all I know  
  
From my first moment as time goes by Witness endlessly through open skies The journey though life would be hard with out you You gave me all I have and all I know "  
  
With a final look at the alien kingdom beyond the Underground, Morighana wondered briefly about her step-brother, Daric, whom she had seen only once in her short life. She turned back to the Haunting Woods and continued on her path.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
The portal was opened wide, he could see.  
  
"One should always close the door behind one's self," he said to the wilted child draped over his shoulder. "Behind one's self the door should one always close."  
  
He licked his cracked lips as he sized up the window. Slowly, he stretched his hand out past the window's frame. He was halted by an invisible shield. He withdrew his hand and his eyes sparkled with desire. He edge closer to the casement and reached his hand out again. This time he felt carefully around the safeguard until he found what he was looking for. A crack.  
  
"A crack in time. A time in crack," he babbled incoherently. "Cracks. Cracks. Cracks. Should always seal the cracks."  
  
He pushed against the weakness and continued to apply pressure to it. It took a great amount of effort and strain, but it finally gave away and he was free.  
  
"Free me. Me free. Free is me!!" he crowed gleefully. He leapt to the sill, babe in tow. "Yes siree! Free is me. Me is free!"  
  
He stood there and inhaled the other-worldly air. Already he could feel the energy surge through his veins. His gold eyes radiated with the power. His appetite for revenge grew insatiable. He absolutely must find the little lady who had freed him and. thank her. of course.  
  
"Here I come. Here comes I." 


	15. A Whiter Shade of Pale

Chapter 12: "A Whiter Shade of Pale"  
  
"Her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale."  
  
Sarah gawked at her friend, her hazel jewel-like eyes were wide with befuddlement.  
  
"You mean to tell me that your Jareth's sister?" she managed to squawk after several minutes of stunned silence.  
  
Anna, or rather Izella, chewed her bottom lip uncertainly and nodded.  
  
"I am."  
  
"Oh, brother!" Sarah groaned, not realizing the pun she had unintentionally made. The girl flopped back against her couch and covered her fair face with a pillow. She ruminated over the events of the last.. How much time had passed since she had arrived back in the Underground? Hours? Days? She pushed her face into the pillow.  
  
"Sarah," Izella tugged at the other girl's sleeve. "Do take that cushion off your face and look at me."  
  
For a moment it appeared that Sarah was not going to move. Slowly, she slid the pillow down enough so that only her eyes were visible. She looked at Izella in quizzical confusion.  
  
Izella raised her eyebrows in anguish as she realized how lost Sarah must be feeling. She should have realized what a shock her relation to Jareth would be to Sarah, particularly after the human girl discovered through a third party, namely the wretched Morighana, that her aunt was a princess from a kingdom in Sominus. Judging by the look in Sarah's eyes, Izella guessed that Sarah was wondering if anyone was who they said they were.  
  
"Sarah, please let me explain," she urged. "But you must take that cushion off your face!"  
  
With a melodramatic gesture, Sarah swept the pillow completely off her face. She pulled herself into a sitting postion, drawing her knees to her chest to make room on the sofa for Izella. She winced as her injured ankle protested at being treated so roughly. Izella drug a footstool over to the couch so that Sarah could prop her foot up before taking a seat next to her.  
  
Once Sarah was settled in, Izella cleared her throat and started in on her explaination.  
  
"What Joy told you about Jareth and our family was accurate. I have been on this isle for many, many moons.  
  
There is absolutely nothing to do in this place which is, of course, why Jareth choose it. When I was young I did my best to entertain myself as did the others here with me, but in time that grew old and I needed something else to keep me occupied. One day when I was twelve I was swimming in the Lake of Tears against the advice of Mona. I had found that I loved to dive and I had trained myself to hold my breath for long periods of time like the pearl divers I had once read about before my exile. On this day, I was exploring the Lake's floor when I discovered a cavern under the Isle. I went back to the surface to get a full breath of air and dove back down to further examine the grotto. I swam in darkness for what seemed to an eternity. I was afraid that I would run out of air when light suddenly broke through the blackness. When I surfaced I found myself in your world, Sarah! The cavern was a portal; one I am sure that neither Jareth or Morighana know about. I went back through the portal to make sure I knew how to get back. I got together a change of clothes and dove back down. It worked a second time and I wandered around your realm, until I stumbled upon the glade that you were playing in. I couldn't remain in your world, though I would have loved to. Jareth occasionally checked on me and I couldn't risk him finding me gone and coming into your world to find me."  
  
"But why did you say your name was Anna and not Izella?" Sarah had regained her rosy color as was leaning forward with curiosity.  
  
"Well, I knew that Izella was not a common name in your world. I was afraid that you or someone else would question me about it. How could I explain such a name? Therefore, I told you my name was Anna. My middle name is Annais, so it was close."  
  
Sarah nodded as she remembered the first time she had met Anna.  
  
************************************************************************ Twelve-year-old Sarah Williams was being chased by a sheepdog puppy.  
  
"Stay away from me, you mean old pirate!" she scolded the animal. "Peter Pan will get you!"  
  
The puppy named Merlin barked excitedly in response. He had no idea what she was talking about, but was enjoying the game nonetheless.  
  
"Sarah," called a woman's voice. "Do be careful. You don't want to trip and ruin your good dress!"  
  
Sarah stopped running abruptly and stared down at her pale blue gown that resembled Wendy's nightdress, which was the reason she had worn it that day. Unfortunately, Merlin failed to brake in time and careened into the child. Sarah landed harshly on her hands and knees.  
  
"Sarah!" Linda William's snapped. Her disapproving frown diminished when she saw her daughter's eyes fill with tears. "Oh, Sarah. Don't cry. We'll have it cleaned."  
  
Linda strolled gracefully over to the little girl and helped her up. Her eyes slid from her daughter to the playground full of children. She sighed.  
  
"Sarah, darling," the mother cooed. "Why don't you go play with the others? Perhaps one of them would like to play Peter Pan."  
  
The child's face contorted into a stubborn pout. "They're mean, Mommy. They don't like to play with me."  
  
Linda threw up her hands up in surrender and went back to her bench. She couldn't understand how a social butterfly like herself ended up with such an antisocial daughter.  
  
Sarah went back to her game, but Merlin had lost interest and had taken off into the bushes. The girl chased after him calling him a codfish. She followed him into the shrubbery, stopping short when she saw his new interest.  
  
Merlin was gleefully sniffing a very pretty little girl with long dark hair that was plaited and pinned up. Large, clear blue eyes gazed in wonder at the dog first, then Sarah.  
  
The girls stared at each other, both in awe of the other. Sarah was riveted by the girl's strange attire- a watery lavender dress that looked like a fairy tale princess gown. Thinking that the new girl was playing dress up like herself, Sarah stuck a small hand out to her and said grandly.  
  
"Hello, my name is Sarah Marie Williams. Who are you?"  
  
The girl's eyes grew even larger. She pursed her lips together and looked frightened. Finally, she smiled brightly and answered in a peculiar accented lilt,  
  
"My name is Anna."  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
Sarah laughed suddenly, a light airy laughter that filled the room with sunshine.  
  
Izella looked puzzled, not sure what was so funny.  
  
Sarah grabbed the princess's hands, grinning radiantly. "No wonder you were so good at playing Labyrinth! You knew so much because you had experienced it all!"  
  
Izella joined in Sarah's merriment with her own crystalline laughter. A memory from their childhood pushed its way to the fore of Izella's mind. She recalled Sarah had become more and more enamored with Jareth. It had bothered her then, but she was sure that it was harmless since Sarah was unaware that Jareth and the Labyrinth existed beyond paper. Now Sarah's infatuation with the Goblin King concerned Izella even more than before. This was no longer one of their games.. This was very real.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
"You did WHAT!?"  
  
Morighana cowered against a gnarled old tree. She raised her arm over her face as though the protect herself from Jareth's fury.  
  
"I-I sent her to look for the Goblin's Dagger!" she wailed. "I was trying to help you!"  
  
Jareth gnashed his teeth at her. "I told you to stay out of this," he bellowed and advanced towards her menacingly. "You blatantly disobeyed me! I ought to tip YOU into the Bog of Eternal Stench!"  
  
Morighana paled and shrunk even further into the tree. The look in his eyes terrified her and she began to sob.  
  
"Shut up!" he hissed at her. Pacing the area in front of her, he tried to reign in his temper but it was no use. "You've had it out for Sarah since she arrived, you deceitful little imp! Upon the Dagger, you've gone too far!"  
  
In a burst of bravado, Morighana jumped up and was in his face. "She's trying to ruin you!" she shrieked like an enraged Ne-Ne Whal. "Look at what she did to you last time! I sent her to the Isle of Abandonment," she glared defiantly at her uncle. "And I am not sorry one bit! I hope she rots there!"  
  
"Why you little-"  
  
Morighana's eyes widened in shocked horror as Jareth raised his hand to her. She instinctively ducked and covered her head with her arms. The expected blow never came.  
  
"JARETH!" Aurora's icy disapproval froze the Goblin King in his act. "Touch her and you'll have me to contend with."  
  
Jareth stared wildly at the brazen redhead who had positioned herself between him and Morighana. His breathing came in uneven gasps. Slowly, he lowered his hand apparently shaken by what he had nearly done. Aurora kept her artic gaze fixed on him until he had sufficiently calmed down. Morighana peeked out from behind Aurora's skirts, bolder now that she had a shield in between herself and Jareth.  
  
"Sarah's a witch who got what she deserved," she taunted softly.  
  
Jareth's eyes flared and he lunged for her. The Goblin Princess gasped and ducked behind Aurora who determinedly blocked him.  
  
"Leave," the redhead commanded.  
  
Jareth glared daggers at her. He opened his mouth to protest, but Aurora didn't give him the chance.  
  
"NOW!"  
  
Jareth mumbled under his breath empty, murderous threats, and retreat aways.  
  
Morighana straightened up and hugged her rescuer. Aurora did not return the embrace.  
  
Morighana gulped as she looked up at the princess who stood with her arms crossed over her stomach and a scowl on her face. In many ways, Aurora was more frightening than Jareth when she was angry .  
  
"If you saw Sarah as that much of a threat, then why didn't you get me, Morighana? You knew I was looking for her."  
  
Morighana fidgeted with the laces of her tunic. She shrugged uncaringly and traced a pattern in the dusty ground.  
  
"I would answer, Morighana," Aurora advised dourly. "For your own sake. Right now neither Jareth nor I are very happy with you ."  
  
"I couldn't tell you," she declared mournfully.  
  
Aurora's expression softened slightly. "Why not?"  
  
"Because Sarah's in love with Papa and she would try to send you back to her world because she wouldn't want you here to take him away from her and I don't want you go," Morighana gushed without a breath. "She's already made a mess of things and I don't want her to ruin anything else."  
  
Aurora stared at the girl, trying to make sense of what she had just said. Jareth's interest had been piqued by Morighana's opening statement about Sarah being in love with him. His earlier anger was forgotten and he came up behind Aurora.  
  
The Crystal Kingdom princess put one hand on her hip and ran her other one through her head. She turned to Jareth, who regarded his niece morosely.  
  
"Jareth," Aurora shot him a brief glance. "Please, do something about this."  
  
The Goblin King looked up at his former bride-to-be. He said nothing, having grown oddly quiet.  
  
Morighana apologetically slid her arms about Aurora.  
  
"I'm sorry that what I did caused so many problems, Rory," she spoke so gently that Aurora almost didn't hear her.  
  
Aurora gave her a tight smile and put her arm around the child's shoulders.  
  
"You can always bring Sarah back here," Morighana addressed her uncle in an effort to appease him. "Just go to the Isle and get her."  
  
Jareth's gaze was fixed on something they could not see.  
  
"No," he shortly. His posture straightened stiffly. "I will not go there. Ever."  
  
Morighana looked to Aurora as though she might have answer to Jareth's response. But Aurora was just as confused as the Goblin Princess was.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
The child in his arms began to stir again, but he paid no attention. His wild eyes were locked onto the boding evil of the Seven Towers. A crazed grin oozed over his features.  
  
At the furthest edge of the vast Underground, shrouded in a heavy veil of eternal night was the reviled kingdom to which he was the rightful ruler. Anticipation charged his senses. How he longed to return home- to return to power.  
  
The child blinked sleepily at the world around him. He knew that this was wrong and it frightened him. He began to whimper for his parents to come claim him.  
  
"Hush baby," the man clutching him cooed in a creepy sing-song voice. "Baby hush. Don't cry, cry don't. If you cry, you die!"  
  
Tears streamed down the infant's chubby cheeks. He sniffled in a hiccupy way, but it did not prevent his nose from running.  
  
Ignoring the lamenting child, he turned his eyes to the Ungerground, specifically to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. His demented mind began formulate a plan as insane as he was.  
  
"Wait 'til Jareth sees my new heir." he whispered. "My new heir wait 'til Jareth sees."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Is there really no way out of this place, Izella?"  
  
"Please, call me Anna," the princess said. "I believe that there might be."  
  
Sarah smiled slyly, thinking about how much she would relish Morighana's reaction to her escaping from the Isle with Anna.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes," Anna nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Upon further investigation of the cavern, I found a second exit. If the one is a portal to your world, it is possible that the second in a portal to another section of Sominus."  
  
"Have you tried it?"  
  
"Not yet. I've only just found it and have not had the chance to go through."  
  
Sarah awkwardly jumped up from the sofa. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's try it."  
  
Anna steadied her friend. "Sarah, you can't swim with your ankle like that. Besides, I don't even know that it is a portal."  
  
Sarah's expression became obstinate. "We'll never know if we don't try! And anyway, it's worth a shot if it will get us out of this place. I've got to get back to Jareth."  
  
Anna was not pleased that Jareth was Sarah's motivation for leaving the Isle, but she had to admitt that she would give almost anything to be rid of the place. Once she was free, she was sure she could find a way to rescue the others and free Sarah from her brother's spell.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Morighana had left Aurora and her uncle, shuffling her way to nowhere in particular. Jareth was still incredibly angry with her and refused to acknowledge her apologies. He had also seemed rather put out by the fact that she had suggested he retrieve Sarah himself by going to the Isle of Abandonment. The Goblin princess was puzzled by his reaction; she had thought that that was he going to do all along.  
  
Morighana sighed and wondered what was happening to them all. Sarah had nearly destroyed Jareth when she defeated his Labyrinth, now she was tearing Aurora and Jareth apart and turning Jareth against her. Morighana wished that Sarah would just go away and leave them be. She didn't belong in this world anyway.  
  
The sky was darkening as she and Ribito trudged along to an unknown destination. The wind rushed past them, crying a warning that something terrible was coming. Ribito instinctively stiffened, but Morighana ignored the wind's caveat, putting more and more distance between her and the Castle Beyond the Goblin City.  
  
"Morighana."  
  
Morighana jerked her curly head in the direction of the voice who had called her name. She saw no one. Ribito growled at her side, her hair sparking threateningly.  
  
"Who's there?" The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place it with a face.  
  
"Princess Morighana. Morighana princess."  
  
The girls whipped around frantically looking for the owner of the voice. Her golden eyes flared angrily; she was in no mood for playing games.  
  
"Show yourself!" she commanded brusquely. "I demand that you show yourself!"  
  
"Princess Morighana is not very nice. Not very nice is Princess Morighana," the voice reprimanded. "Tsk, tsk."  
  
Morighana's pulse began to race. The voice was so familiar; she knew she should be afraid the person behind the voice but she didn't know why.  
  
Ribito was growing restless; her sharp eyes scoured the terrain looking for the intruder. She knew who the owner was and she wanted tear him apart before he could do any damage.  
  
Morighana's brave front began to falter, but the voice said no more. The wind died away in fear. No sound could be heard; all was eerily still.  
  
A sudden fooump was heard. Ribito let out a pain-filled roar and staggered about as though she had been injured.  
  
"Ribito!" Morighana screamed as her beloved pet collapsed in a crumpled heap. She ran to her, falling to her knees.  
  
"Oh, Ribito!" she cried in despair. "Get up, Rib! Get up! Please!"  
  
The tigress lay still. Her amethyst eyes stared unseeingly ahead of her. Morighana burst into tears, leaking silver droplets all over Ribito.  
  
"No, no!" she lamented. "This can't be happening!"  
  
"Poor Morighana. Morighana poor."  
  
Morighana froze, still clinging to her pet's body.  
  
"Tiger sleep forever. Forever sleep tiger."  
  
Slowly, the Goblin Princess regained the use of her motor skills and turned around.  
  
She sucked her breath in a sharp gasp. Her eyes went wide and panic filled her golden orbs. Before her, leaning lazily against a Flarrow tree, was a lanky man with a handsome face. His hair and eyes were exactly like hers. He grinned clandestinely at her.  
  
Morighana's eyes fell to the child he held. Her heart went out to the babe who looked as fearful as she felt. Suddenly the memory of who the man before her was slammed into her with force of an avalanche. Her blood ran cold in her veins and color evaporated from her features.  
  
"Daric!" 


	16. Turning Tides

Chapter 13: Turning Tides...  
  
Aurora stood on the cliffs of Crystal Dreams overlooking the Lake of Tears. The wind howled miserably as it flitted over the forsaken waters. It pleaded with the princess to move on; to follow it to a more inviting place. But Aurora's attention was focused on the lone isle in the center of the Lake. A gloomy mist rose from the miry depths obscuring the land from view.  
  
Sarah. Aurora shuddered against the artic air as her thoughts turned again to her niece. She could only speculate on what Sarah was going through, what she was feeling, what Jareth had done to her. Not that Aurora was concerned that Jareth posed a physical threat to Sarah. Bodily harm had been Robin's area of expertise; Jareth was the master of psychological torture.  
  
The longer a mortal remained in the realm of the fantastical, the less chance that same person had of functioning normally in their true reality. Though it was factual that a child could stay in Sominus for many moons without any damage being done, the danger was in remaining beyond those childhood days. Sominus had a way of unraveling the human mind and fraying its edges as a person passed into the limbo between being a child and being an adult. Of all those who had lingered into their late adolence, none had ever successfully been reinstated into the mortal world. Almost all had gone slowly insane. In Sominus, the progression was known as No Return. This situation was also true of the inhabitants of Sominus who lived habitually in the earthly realm. Only a few, born of earth and fantasy, could exist in both worlds.  
  
Sarah was only of the corporeal existence and it worried Aurora. She knew her niece had already been exposed to the Gardens of Forgetfulness and Jareth's mind games would only further speed the process of No Return.  
  
Guilt constrained her consciousness as Aurora felt that she was solely responsible for Sarah's predicament. After all, she was the one who had filled the girl's head with stories of the Underground and it's King. She was the one who had encouraged Sarah's daydreaming and games of pretend. If only she had never given that cursed book to her, none of this would have happened.  
  
There was another dimension to the situation that had not existed prior to Sarah's first trip through the Labyrinth and now posed a new problem. Morighana's revelation of Sarah's steadfast infatuation with Jareth was more disturbing to the Princess than Sarah's inevitable spiral to No Return. She was not upset due to jealousy- if Aurora was sure of anything it was her coalition with Jareth and the power of the past, which bound them together- a power no mortal girl had ever been able to sever, though many had tried. It was rather due to to fact that such an infatuation would undoubtly cloud Sarah's wisdom and causes her to percieve her aunt as an enemy. Jareth was as seductive and dangerous as a mermaid's aria and though Sarah was a clever girl, she did not possess the knowledge to free herself from such a charm. Sarah had defeated him once, yes, but not again. The Labyrinth's illusions turned out to be, as Sarah would say, a piece of cake and thus Jareth had adapted his game from a challenge to overcome him to one that gave the appearance that he was still conquered. The nefarious Goblin King was far more deceptive and shrewd this time around and Sarah's inexperience would mostly likely result in her heart being broken just as Aurora's had before her.  
  
Aurora sighed heavily, wondering how far into the charade with Sarah Jareth had gotten and how far it had yet to go before Jareth grew bored. Was there another ball in the planning?  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
The grandfather clock in the hall announced midnight with an elegant chime. "Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning," Aurora thought wearily as she climbed the staircase to her bedroom. Never-Neverland had never sounded so good after a long day at spent with an attorney sorting out the legalities of opening the publishing company.  
  
The redhead was just about to change into her bed clothes when the stars suddenly blew open the window that overlooked Sominus.  
  
Puzzled by the stars impulsive mischievousness, Aurora indolently trudged over to the portal. Just as she reached for the shutter, a crystal bubble filled the outside view with a ballroom.  
  
Aurora watched the extravagant scene with little interest. No doubt that it was a play by the ever-scheming Jareth to lure her back to his world. The bubble expanded to fill the entire window. Once again she attempted to shutter the casement, but a striking man in the center of the ballroom wearing a grotesque goblin mask caught her attention.  
  
Infuriation filled her as she recognized Jareth sneering smirk under the hideous mask. He held her gaze for a long while before focusing his interest to a brunette beauty that had just joined the revelry.  
  
Aurora never properly saw the girl who had so captivated Jareth, but there was something oddly familiar about her. It was only later that she discovered that it was Sarah who danced with the Goblin King that night.  
  
Moments after the pair began to dance, Jareth glanced up sharply with a wicked gleam in his eyes. At the end of his song, he promptly snapped the bubble shut, before Aurora could see Sarah break free from him and shatter the illusion herself, and left the princess seething with jealousy and aching with sadness.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"I wasn't so very different from Sarah," Aurora mused aloud. "When I first met him."  
  
"Weren't ya?"  
  
The Princess spun around, flushed with embarrassment. Her eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Hoggle!" she cried delightedly and ran to the dwarf who stood near a white- berried shrub, hatchet in hand.  
  
"Hey now, Princess!" he sputtered as she lifted him from the ground in a bear hug. "Yer chokin' me!"  
  
Aurora quickly set the little man back down on the ground and knelt down to his level.  
  
"Oh, Hoggle. How've you been? I've missed you terribly."  
  
Hoggle shrugged indifferently, a crimson hue tinting his cheeks. "Hmph. Well, things have been peaceful since ya left," he huffed. "I suppose those days are over now."  
  
Aurora laughed out loud at his brusque demeanor, but swiftly clamped a hand over her mouth as Hoggle hated to be laughed at.  
  
The dwarf crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at her, his bottom lip protruded slightly making him look as though he was pouting. After a moment that allowed Aurora to collect herself, his eyebrows raised and the corners of his mouth turned skyward.  
  
"Now what was ya sayin' about you an' Sarah bein' alike?"  
  
The redhead shrugged and fidgeted with the hem of her dress.  
  
"I was thinking aloud really," she replied, "that we were very much alike when I was her age. We were both young, naïve, and completely enchanted with Jareth. He was the be all and end all to our existence and there was nothing to be done about it."  
  
"I beg to differ, yer Highness," Hoggle interjected, inching closer to her.  
  
"Jareth only controls Sarah while she is in this world and if she lets 'im. But it's you and His Majesty who are most alike."  
  
"Hogwash, Hoggle," Aurora protested. "Jareth and I are nothing alike."  
  
"You an' Jareth are both of this world. Sure Jareth has a type of power o'er ya and sure ya feel like ya can't escape. But ya've got a power o'er him too. He'd do anything fer ya. Move the stars an' all that."  
  
His eyes darkened slightly as he continued, "He was never the same after ya left, Princess. Word 'round the Labyrinth was that you broke his heart. An' he never got over that." Aurora stared off into the distance with a melancholy expression. Was it possible that she was the Goblin King's weakness?  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Sarah was gesturing animatedly as she spoke of their plans for a daring escape from the Isle. Anna, however, was not sure about taking her friend on such a risky venture. She was uncertain how they would fare with Sarah's injured foot. Anna herself had struggled to make the journey and she was a strong swimmer and skilled diver. The heir to the Goblin throne was also concerned that Sarah was not taking this as seriously as she should- that she did not realize that she wasn't living a fairy tale and that the Underground was under no obligation to give her a "happily ever after" ending. However, Anna could not dissuade Sarah from the task she was determined to undertake.  
  
"Well," Sarah struggled to pull herself onto her feet. "We should get going as soon as possible."  
  
Anna moved quickly to steady her friend. "Sarah, there is no wisdom in leaving now with your ankle as it is. Please, let's wait a few days more."  
  
"I can't wait!" Sarah exclaimed in protest. "Jareth needs me now." She gingerly tested her ankle- it hurt to put weight on it, but like a analgesic, her infatuation with the Goblin King numbed the pain and convinced her that she was able to manage.  
  
"See," she triumphantly spread her arms out to Anna. "I'm fine."  
  
"If you insist," Anna murmured. She shook her head slightly at her friend's thinly veiled display of bravado- Sarah was obviously in a great deal of pain. Anna knew that too much protest would result in Sarah foolishly attempting to go alone. So she remained quite.  
  
With a sigh of resignation, Anna disappeared briefly and returned with two satchels that were molded from a slick, rubbery-looking material.  
  
Sarah took the bag that was offered to her with fascination. She fumbled a bit with the silver fastener at the top of the carrier. Inside were a swimming suit and a change of clothes.  
  
In response to the puzzled look on Sarah's face, Anna said,  
  
"The bag is made from Weasel-berry and will keep the clothes dry as we swim." Sarah nodded her comprehension and tucked the clothes back into their case. Anna offered her arm to the hobbling mortal and led her to a private place to change.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Daric's devilish smirk stretched into an iniquitous grin.  
  
"It is I. I it is," he chirped as he began to circle the girl and her tiger like a vulture.  
  
"You'd better leave me alone, Daric," she warned, mustering up what little courage remained within her. "Papa won't take kindly to your being here."  
  
Daric snickered rudely. "And just how is Uncle Jareth? Uncle Jareth is how?"  
  
"Just fine," she snapped with conviction. The bizarre manner in which he spoke confused and frightened her. "He's stronger and more powerful than ever." Though the latter was not entirely true, Morighana silently prayed that Daric would not remain in the Underground long enough to discover that the Goblin King was still recovering from a defeat.  
  
"Really?" Daric's voice turned smooth and dark as it dropped several octaves. "Well, we'll just have to change that. Change that we must."  
  
"You can't!" Morighana retorted saucily, not stopping to wonder about the wisdom in provoking Daric. "You'll never be a match for Papa!"  
  
"Stop calling him that!" he screamed, suddenly leaping down on her, mercilessly wrenching her head back with his hand tangled in her hair. "He is not your father!"  
  
He spat on the ground next to her as his body quaked with rage.  
  
Morighana could no longer hide her terror and she intermittently hiccupped as she sobbed.  
  
********************************************************************  
  
Jareth stood near the picture window in his bed chamber lost in his own thoughts. Agitated with the way things were turning out, he growled in disgust. He seemed to be gaining no ground with Aurora or anyone else and it irritated him. Nevertheless, he was still going to stir things up a bit with the Crystal Kingdom.  
  
Sarah, as he saw it, was no longer his concern. Morighana had successfully seen to that when she tricked the girl into sending herself to the Isle of Abandonment.  
  
Pity, he thought, It would have been rather nice to have the Goblin's Dagger back once more.  
  
On the other hand, Jareth was rather pleased with his clever little niece's plan to rid them of Sarah. Quite ingeneous if he did say so himself. At any rate, he really didn't want to have to suffer through yet another ball. He'd had his fill of them.  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
"A little maiden climbed an old man's knee,  
  
Begged for a story, "Do, Uncle, Please."  
  
"Why are you lonely, why do you roam?  
  
Have you no sweetheart, have you no home?"  
  
"I had a sweetheart, long long ago  
  
Why we were not wed, you soon  
  
shall know. List to my story, I'll tell it all.  
  
I broke her heart, pet, after the ball."  
  
After the ball is over, just at the break of dawn,  
  
After the dance is ended, and all the stars are gone.  
  
Many the heart that's aching, if you could read them all.  
  
Many the fond hope that's vanished, after the ball.  
  
Her eyes were shining, in the big ballroom,  
  
Softly the organ was playing a tune.  
  
There stood my sweetheart, my love, my own  
  
Wishing some water, I left the room.  
  
When I returned, pet, there stood a man  
  
Kissing my sweetheart, as lovers can.  
  
Down went the glass, pet, broke in the fall,  
  
Just as my heart was, after the ball.  
  
After the ball is over, just at the break of dawn,  
  
After the dance is ended, and all the stars are gone.  
  
Many the heart that's aching, if you could read them all.  
  
Many the fond hope that's vanished, after the ball.  
  
Many years have gone by; I have not wed -  
  
True to my sweetheart, though she is dead.  
  
She tried to tell me, tried to explain.  
  
I would not listen, pleading in vain.  
  
One day a letter came from this man.  
  
He was her brother, the letter ran.  
  
That's why I'm lonely, no home at all -  
  
I broke her heart, pet, after the ball.  
  
After the ball is over, just at the break of dawn,  
  
After the dance is ended, and all the stars are gone.  
  
Many the heart that's aching, if you could read them all.  
  
Many the fond hope that's vanished, after the ball.* 


	17. Deliver Me Part 1

For you, Mab.   
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Chapter 14: "Deliver Me" (Part 1)  
  
"Deliver me, out of my sadness. Deliver me, from all of the madness"  
  
The inhabitants of the Crystal Kingdom were going about their daily business, unaware of the trouble that was brewing outside their realm. In the center of the kingdom rose the crystalline towers of the Crystal Castle gleaming like a beacon of unearthly perfection.  
  
From her balcony high above the bustling city, Queen Lillian let out a morose sigh. Her heart was heavy with worry and despair. Somewhere out there, beyond the reaches of her world was her daughter, her beloved youngest child. It was the not knowing anything about her offsping's circumstances that preyed upon her mind. Though she knew Jareth would watch over her, that knowledge did little to ease her spirit.  
  
"What is it that troubles my queen so?"  
  
Lillian was startled by the sudden presence of a familiar voice. She relaxed a little and even managed a small smile. She turned her head slightly in the direction the voice.  
  
"Only that which troubles all mothers, my son. I am worried about my child's welfare."  
  
"What must be done to ease her Majesty's mind?"  
  
"Restoring our family to what it once was, I suppose," Lillian paused as a deep sadness settled into her features and seemed to age her greatly. "Though even I know that is not possible."  
  
"Perhaps not," the voice mused. "However, if there is anything that your servant can do to comfort her Majesty, then I am your willingly slave and at your disposal."  
  
This prompted a chuckle from the Queen.  
  
"You are a slave to no one, Jareth," she commented turning to face the Goblin King. She studied his handsome face for a moment. "Except perhaps to Aurora."  
  
"Ah, yes," Jareth muttered through gritted teeth. "Though you will not hear me admit to such a notion."  
  
"Yes, of course, my son," Lillian descended the steps from the balcony into her chamber and took Jareth's outstretched arm.  
  
"It warms me greatly to hear you call me your son," the Goblin Kind nodded graciously in a moment of humilty.  
  
"Yes, well, you are," Lillian said. "I do not share my husband's opinion's on every issue, you know."  
  
"You are a wise woman," Jareth observed thoughtfully.  
  
"I take it you are not here to socialize."  
  
"No," Jareth's eyes darkened several shades. "I am here on serious business."  
  
Lillian's eyes went wide and her grip on Jareth's arm tightened. "Is it Aurora?"  
  
"No, my Queen. She is well. But I bring news that threatens both of our worlds."  
  
Lillian pressed her lips tightly together until they could not be seen.  
  
Jareth glanced about them sharply. He could smell the presence of the Crystal Kingdom king.  
  
"Is there somewhere private where we can discuss this?"  
  
"Follow me."  
  
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Sarah was nearly numb with pain. Her ankle screamed out as she continued to swim after Anna. Though she was a decent swimmer, Sarah found it difficult to pull herself through the murky waters. It was a though they were trying to swim through translucent oil, for each move forward they seemed to be pulled three back.  
  
The tunnel that led to their freedom was unending. Sarah's lungs burned within her chest- it was all she could do not to open her mouth and let in the cool liquid to quench the fire.  
  
Anna swam on ahead of her, leading the way, and did not seem to be having as hard a time as Sarah. Often she glanced back at her human friend, worried that Sarah was not strong enough to make it all the way. If they had not come so far already, Anna would have turned them back to the island.  
  
Sarah was falling further behind the princess. She reached out and attempted to grab Anna's ankle to let her know she was struggling. But her friend was always just beyond her reach. Panic began to grip Sarah's heart as the waters around her began to blacken, making it difficult to see. She desperately tried to alert Anna, but her flailing only made swimming more difficult.  
  
Something made Anna check on Sarah once more. Her eyes opened in horror as she saw the mortal girl go limp in the water and sink into the oblivion.  
  
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Aurora stood in the Great Hall of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, her face marred by a frown. She was still unable to grasp how what should have been a short simple trip to retreive Sarah turned into such a prolong journey with no visible sight. A part of Aurora, the part that belong to the Underground- to Jareth- did not wish to worry about the girl any longer, but rather focus on regaining what she had lost when she left the Underground for the Mortal Realm. But Aurora was nothing if not loyal, and she knew she must return Sarah to safety- out of Jareth's clutches. This was promise she had made to Sarah's mother and it was a promise she was determined to keep.  
  
Her skirts brushed the leg of the grand piano that was the centerpiece of that wing of the Castle. Aurora stopped and ran her finger tips over its edge. The instrument, she knew, had not played for a very long time.  
  
She turned her back to it as a torrent of memories came upon her. She stared out of the massive stained glass window that depicted a portion of the Labyrinth. So lost in thought was she that she did not hear someone slip into the Hall, open the piano, and begin to play, an echo of the song in her heart.  
  
"Somewhere in time I know, Darling you'll come back to me.   
Roses will bloom again, But Spring feels like eternity.   
In your kiss it wasn't goodbye. You are still the reason why.  
  
I can hear you whispering in the silence of my room, My heart still surrenders like the sun to the moon.   
I can barely stand this aching, burning endlessly.   
"Love me now forever," Were the last words you said to me.  
  
And when the morning comes, My hands still reach out for you.  
Some things remain the same, There is nothing I can do.   
I can barely get through the day Ever since you went away."  
  
The music stopped, but Aurora stayed where she was. How was she to ever find Sarah when Jareth there at every turn to remind her of the past?  
  
"My offer still stands," the Goblin King said softly, rising from the piano bench. "Say the word and the past will be no more."  
  
Aurora faced him silently, not trusting herself to speak.  
  
Jareth reached out a gloved hand to the woman who had so deftly capture his heart many moons ago.  
  
"Only you have the power to end this, Ashulla," he whispered, running his fingers through her silken tresses.  
  
"Jareth, I made a promise..."  
  
"Yes, I know about you and your promises," he said. There was no malice in his voice, only something akin to a sigh of depression. "You've broken them in the past, why not break one now?"  
  
Aurora buried her face in the fabic of his emerald green shirt. Finally, she turned her head to the side and rested against his chest.  
  
"It is because I've broken them in the past that I must keep this one."  
  
"Nothing I can do will dissaude you from seeking Sarah then?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I see." The Goblin King was silent for several minutes before speaking again. "You will mostly likely need my assistance in finding her."  
  
"Oh, Jareth," Aurora frowned in frustration. "For once stop playing. I'm tired of all these games."  
  
"I am serious, Aurora," he replied, lifting her chin up with a finger so that she would look at him.  
  
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Aurora was more than a little suspicious of the man before her. Sarah meant so much to him and he had pursued her so determinedly that she could not believe that he would give her up so easily.  
  
Jareth pulled her closer to him. Cold and callous as he was, deep within him burned the ability to love- in his own dark way- those few who could uncover the embers. For an instance the humanity with in him surface and with sincere affection- no games, no alterior motives- he cupped the princess's face in his hands and kissed her.  
  
He pulled back from her slightly. Aurora reguared him with astonishment, unconsciously raising her fingers to her lips. The tenderness in his eyes slowly gave way to grave seriousness.  
  
"I'm afraid your father has summoned Mab."  
  



End file.
